FINAL SAR

So for your final SAR, we're going to incorporate a formal and informal approach, so please make sure you read ALL the instructions and make sure your Final SAR addresses all points.

Informal questions:

1. The overarching theme for the school year is "What does it mean to be human?" So in general, taking into consideration any philosophies you hold (be they religious, conceptual, etc.), knowledge you've obtained through your courses this year, and in general, just what you think it means.

2. A whole school year has passed, and you've got an additional year of experience in school and life. How do you think you've grown? What have you learned? Does this benefit you?

Formal questions:

3. Using Claims-evidence-reasoning, describe what you feel you've earned through your effort, work, and exhibition of mathematics mastery, what you deserve in your mathematics class in regards to:

Practice,
Participation, and
Performance

Please elaborate on your responses for all 3 questions.

Due no later than Friday, May 13. (The earlier the better!)

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*For those who would like to partake in this last part, you are more than welcome to contribute. However, keep in mind that this is voluntary, and it will in no way alter your class grade.

As you all know, I will be getting married and moving out to California after this year is up. Seeing as I will be looking for teaching jobs in a time where funds are being taken away from education, I don't expect the job search to be particularly easy. Therefore, I am looking for some student recommendations. I know it sounds weird, but it seems to me that you as students know me better than anyone else at work seeing as I see you every day (unless you're absent or I'm absent!).

If you choose to volunteer to write a letter, please do a quick google search for examples of how recommendation letters should be written or check out the link below. (I will after all be using them for job applications and such!) I've you've got any questions on how you should go about putting one together, feel free to ask! Don't forget to sign and date it!

http://www.letters-of-recommendation.org/2-letters-of-recommendation-for-teachers.htm

Again, this will not count towards or against your final grade. It would just be greatly appreciated!

SAR #5

Okay, so last time, you reflected on your average schedule throughout the day, the amount of homework hours assigned to you by your teachers, and the amount of time you actually spend working on said homework.

From observations, it seemed to me that for the majority of you, you work fewer hours on homework than you are assigned. So here are this time's SAR questions.

1. Looking back at your response from SAR #4, please explain why you are or are not successful in your classes.

2. Would you consider yourself a procrastinator? If no, please explain. If yes, then would you consider your overall performance in school =D, =), = | or =(? (This is taking into consideration your procrastination.)

3. What types of peer pressure do you deal with?

4. How susceptible are you to giving in to peer pressure situations you described in question #3?

5. The end of the year is coming up fast. How are you preparing for EOL's, finals, and upcoming final grades?

DUE Monday, April 18, 2011

SAR #4

So back to some personal questions for your self reflections.

1. How many hours of homework do you think your teachers give you? (Please give an approximate time for each class that you've got.)

2. How much time a day do you spend on school work (actually working on it or studying it)?

3. How do you spend the other hours of the day? (I'm looking for a broken down schedule of what a 24 hour day looks like for you.)

4. On a scale of 0-100%, how much effort do you put into the tasks you've assigned for each of those hours?


DUE Monday, April 4 by the end of your class period.

Calculus 1 - AP Calculus AB Exam Information

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Exam Question Info!!!

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SAR #3

So this SAR is a formal check in of where you think you are, we'll return to the new stuff next time:

Explain your progress in class. Are you not meeting (√ - ), meeting ( √ ) or exceeding ( √+) expectations.

• State where you think (CLAIM) you’re at.
• Support your CLAIM with EVIDENCE from what you’ve accomplished (or not accomplished) in class and out of class
• Discuss REASONS your evidence (what you’ve accomplished) addresses the expectations of the course.

Explain your participation in class. Are you not meeting (√ - ), meeting ( √ ) or exceeding ( √+) expectations.

• State where you think (CLAIM) you’re at.
• Support your CLAIM with EVIDENCE from what you’ve accomplished (or not accomplished) in class and out of class
• Discuss REASONS your evidence (what you’ve accomplished) addresses the expectations of the course.

If the term ended today, what grade would you earn, keeping in mind that “A” means that you’re going above and beyond our expectations, “B” means that you’re basically fine / meeting expectations, a “C” means you could be better / not meeting expectations and a “D” means you didn’t try / not meeting expectations.

• State what you think you’ve earned (CLAIM)
• Support your CLAIM with EVIDENCE from what you’ve shared about your PROGRESS and PARTICIPATION
• Discuss REASONS your evidence (what you’ve shared / asserted above) is in-line with what you’ve assessed as a grade.

SAR #2

So these past two weeks, I've had time to observe the classes on the following criteria:

1. The number of students we have in the class. (I keep this in mind when I think of things just because typically, in a larger class it's more difficult to move forward because there are more students who need to meet the objectives. As opposed to a smaller class, it's easier to make sure everyone understands.)

2. What materials/concepts that we've covered vs. what materials/concepts I think we are capable of covering already. (Typically, most traditional classes follow a "curriculum". This means that the teacher feels there's a deadline on how long a chapter "should" take... and the class is pressed to follow the schedule. Here at Bio though, we're more focused on a good understanding of what we cover. However, I think that there's a big discrepancy between where we are, and where we are CAPABLE of being.)

3. The work ethic of each individual within each class. (Although I feel it is not my place to judge others based on the same standards I would hold myself to, I can't help but observe you all as students in my class. I am a pretty laid back teacher and don't mind stopping to converse with you about you life, about situations that may be happening at the time, or just talking about plain silly stuff. However, I feel that there is a distinct time to chat and be silly, and a time to buckle down and get to work. The education you are receiving at Bioscience CAN be something that changes your future. Sometimes I wonder, do any of you actually think about what you are doing for your own future with the decisions you are making now?)

So anyway, a few days ago, I was thinking about how all the great minds of our nation, all the people who were in your grandparents or great grandparents' generation. The people who were alive and creating new technology, making breakthroughs in science, engineering, medicine, etc. They're now getting old and passing on. We don't have a new generation of great minds to take their place. We don't have individuals who have the same hard working mindset to continue their legacies. My questions for you are:

1. Do you have an idea of what you plan on doing with your future?
2. Do you know what it REALLY takes to reach your future goals?
3. What are you doing currently (what steps are you taking) that will contribute to your future success?
4. Do you have a back up plan?
5. Have you looked into the requirements/job experience necessary for you to get your foot into the future you want to follow?
6. How do you think you will do based on your current work ethics if you were to transfer them to your future endeavors?

SAR #1

So for the first two weeks back at school, we've reviewed, learned some new materials, migrated from our classroom due to thermostat difficulties, and got to experience a Social Centric workshop with Calvin Terrell.

For this week's self assessment reflections, I mainly want for you to reflect on your thoughts, choices and actions. I would like to discuss the following with you.

1. What are your goals for this semester? (short term and long term)
2. Are there any personal habits of yours that you feel will help you reach your goal? What are they?
3. Are there any personal habits of yours that you feel will deter you from reaching your goal? What are they?
4. If you were here for our workshop with Calvin Terrell, what did you think of the presentation? Anything in particular resonate or inspire you? Anything you completely disagree with?
5. How do you think your answers for #1-4 affect (positively or negatively) our community from a small scale (you, family, Bioscience...) to a large scale (Phoenix, Arizona, US, the world, the UNIVERSE...)?

We will start with these SAR questions for this first reflection. Starting with SAR #2, we will have the skills list ranking added on.

Please submit your SAR #1 by 10:00am Sunday morning.

I hope you enjoy your 3 day weekend!


~Ms. Chen

Algebra 3-4 - Chapter 4

Your skills checklist for Chapter 4 are listed below. Please copy these to a word document on your laptop or write them down in your notebooks. I ask that you refrain from printing them since you have access to them electronically at all times.

Skills List

On my own, without the assistance of the textbook, solutions guide, a classmate, or an instructor, I should be able to...

1. Add matrices. (4.1)

2. Subtract matrices. (4.1)

3. Multiply matrices by a scalar. (4.1)

4. Solve matrix equations. (4.1)

5. Multiply two matrices. (4.2)
6. Use matrix multiplication in applied, real-life word problems. (4.2)
7. Evaluate determinants of 2x2 and 3x3 matrices. (4.3)
8. Use Cramer's rule to solve systems of linear equations, as applied in Example 5. (4.3)
9. Find and use inverse matrices. (4.4)
10. Use inverse matrices in applied, real-life situations, such as encoding a message in Example 5. (4.4)

Class/Homework Assignments:

4.1 - pp. 203-205; #6-36 (ending in 6, 7, and 9), 37, 38, 42  (Due Monday, November 22)
4.2 - pp. 211-212; #4-40 (ending 4, 6, and 0)
4.3 - 233-234; #5-60 (ending 2, 5, and 9) 55, 56, 60