Essay Instructions: After writting my 1st Narration Essay in my English Class, my Professor suggested I had math Anxiety. Now I have to write an "Analying" the problem paper, from two point of views, mine and the POV of the interviewed. I don't have a POV, I don't have Math anxiety and my teacher is a dope and his assignments are garbage.
The following are Cut/Paste from my instructor on the project:
For the Analyzing Your College project, you will challenge your own perspective on the problem or conflict you narrated by conducting additional inquiry, meant to fill in knowledge you don?t have and give you a different perspective on the problem you?ve dealt with. In particular, you will interview an official or expert, somebody with different knowledge and perspective about the kind of issue you?ve narrated, found either in connection with your college community (Ivy Tech Community College) or elsewhere. To gain yet another perspective and to know your subject matter better, you will also collect at least one official document, something published or often used by the institution that will provide you even more information on your problem or conflict. This could be anything from a pamphlet or brochure to a FAQ webpage, but it must be a source that makes you better informed about the conflict you are analyzing.
Ultimately, your goal in this project is to answer the question, ?What?s the real problem?? With the understanding that, like in the parable, it takes multiple perspectives to get a good picture of things, you will attempt, in your project, to define the aspects of the conflict or dilemma in your narrative that are faced by others besides you and determine just what makes it a dilemma for yourself and others, distinguishing between the particulars of your narrative that are specific only to you and those that are common for others as well. You will try to assess how much of your perspective in your narrative is based on misunderstanding and how much of it is accurate, in comparison to the views of the person you interviewed. You will try to get an estimate of how big a problem it is (how widespread it is or how many people it affects) within the education communities about which you've narrated. Most of all, you will test the perspective you?ve constructed in your narrative, determining whether the message you?ve delivered in that narrative holds water or whether it is necessary for you to develop a new perspective on that problem or conflict. All of this is intended to help you refine the "real" problem as experienced or endured by both yourself and others in higher education.
An analytical composition like the one you will write requires that you accomplish a number of tasks.
You will need to introduce the problem and conflict you address in your narrative for which you intend to seek more understanding.
You will need to summarize your narrative, sharing the core message you intended to deliver through that narrative as well as details of that narrative you think it will be helpful or useful for your audience to know. (Don't assume that your new audience for this project has already read your narrative.)
You will also need to summarize some of the perspectives on that same issue provided by the person you interview, both quoting and paraphrasing what he or she told you in your interview honestly and fairly.
You will need to compare and contrast your perspective and experience (contained in your narrative) and the knowledge and perspective shared by your interview respondent, finding elements about which the two of you agree and disagree and judging the significance of those similarities and differences.
To help analyze and judge these perspectives, you should make use of the knowledge gained from your "college source."
Finally, you will need to evaluate your own perspective, making changes to your assessment of the problem or conflict you narrated and ultimately defining the ?real? problem.
You will need to arrange these tasks in an order you think best delivers that definition of the "real" problem and which will make the most sense to your audience.
Expectations (Grading Rubric):
Introduction & Conclusion ? Beginning of the composition prepares readers for what they are going to read ? an academic composition comparing and contrasting your views with others ? In a thought-provoking or interesting way. The conclusion leaves readers with a lasting thought or impression that contributes to the message the author is trying to communicate to the audience.
Purpose ? Composition focuses on a new perspective regarding the problem or conflict faced in the narrative.
Content ? The composition uses both details from the author?s personal experience and narrative, as well as quotations and paraphrases from his or her interview and official source he or she collected to coherently and effectively deliver an answer to the question, ?What is the real problem??
Arrangement ? Sections of the composition are organized logically and coherently, in such a way that it improves readers? ability to follow the author?s movement from his or her initial perspective to the new perspective developed in the composition. This involves finding an appropriate order in which the author summarizes his or her own perspective, as well as the perspective of the interviewee, compares and contrasts those perspectives, and defines the newly conceived problem. Paragraphs are constructed carefully, so that each paragraph accomplishes a distinct purpose that contributes to the focus of the composition and aids in the coherence and understandability of the essay.
Audience ? The composition demonstrates the author?s awareness of and attempt to appeal to the audience, primarily classroom peers and the teacher. This primarily includes writing to ensure the audience?s understanding of the perspectives shared and writing to ensure that the author appears fair, trustworthy, evenhanded, truthful, etc. The composition uses language that is appropriate to the professional setting in which the author and audience interact. But attention may also be paid to using language that evokes appropriate emotions?humor, goodwill, frustration, indignation?either because the author felt them or because he or she wants the audience to feel them.
Style ? Words chosen are precise, descriptive, and accurately used. Sentences are articulate, varied in size and complexity, and are not redundant. Transition words or sentences are used between sentences and between paragraphs to help readers follow along.
Point of View ? The composition consistently uses first (pronouns such as ?I,? ?me,? ?my,? ?mine,? ?we,? ?us,? ?our,? ?ours,? etc.) and third (pronouns such as ?he,? ?she,? ?it,? ?him,? ?her,? ?they,? ?their,? ?theirs,? etc.) person points of view. First person point of view is used only where the author refers to himself or herself as well as his or her experiences. Third person point of view is used to refer to the ideas of the interview and the official source as well as to the problem itself. Second person point of view (pronouns such as ?you,? ?your,? ?yours,? etc.) ought to be avoided.
Grammar, Punctuation, & Spelling ? The composition follows grammatical, punctuation, and spelling conventions for Edited American English, with few if any errors.
THE INTERVIEW
1.What is your background in Math?
Math was always my best subject in school. Probably because it didn?t involve writing and the answers were either right or wrong. I have a Master?s of Science in Education with a major in mathematics.
2.What does it take to be successful in math?
Understanding the material in order to use it an apply it to everyday life. In my department we are preparing students for program level math.
3.Why does studying more not necessarily result in doing better on tests?
Depends on how you are studying. I think the best way to study for math is to ?do? math. Practice the examples multiple times and as you are working them out being able to explain what you are doing.
4.What are the best ways to study math?
Since we use MML, I would suggest working the homework multiple times. Use the similar exercise feature for extra practice. I would also suggest working 8-10 math problems a day, even if they are from previous assignments.
5.How do you see math anxiety affecting students who come to your math classes?
It can take over their cognitive functioning and make them forget everything they know.
6.How do you think testing anxiety affects your students? Why?
Math seems to be a road block for students. If you haven?t been successful in math in grade school, you probably don?t have a lot of self-confidence going into college taking math. I think everybody, including myself, has some level of math anxiety when it comes to tests. I try to prepare my students for what to expect on the test. I hope it will relieve some of the anxiety prior to taking the test.
7.How do you help these students in these kinds of cases?
The Math Study Skills book has a section on math anxiety and I hope my students who know they have anxiety will read it. There are also websites that offer techniques for reducing math anxiety. I also have Cynthia Arenm?s book and CD Conquering Math Anxiety.
8.Can someone with math anxiety still be successful in math?
YES. I think self-confidence is the key. I would like to think after the first test the anxiety students are creating will diminish.
We received a grant for Supplemental Instruction which was brand new when you took my math class. But Supplemental Instruction is a resource for students who need/want more help with math. It is only open to those students in Math 015,035,023,043. Those instructors will reteach, clarify, tutor and help students learn the material. If a student has math anxiety SI could be a good resource to work with other students and gain self-confidence.
