1.

Reflectonthe
StandardsofMathematicalPractice
andtheGrowthandDevelopmentGoalsthat
yousetatthebeginningoftheyearorsemester.Selectthegoalinwhichyouhaveshownthe
mostgrowth.Describeexactlyhowyouhavegrown.Useevidencetosupportyourclaims.

Modelingwithmathematicshasbeenveryusefulformethissemesterbecauseusingmathoutsidethe
classroomandapplyingittorealsituationshelpsmethinkofmathinamoreprofoundway.Modelingwith
mathematicsiswhen
Mathematicallyproficientstudentscanapplythemathematicstheyknowtosolve
problemsarisingineverydaylife,society,andtheworkplace.Inearlygrades,thismightbeassimpleas
writinganadditionequationtodescribeasituation.Inmiddlegrades,astudentmightapplyproportional
reasoningtoplanaschooleventoranalyzeaprobleminthecommunity.Byhighschool,astudentmight
usegeometrytosolveadesignproblemoruseafunctiontodescribehowonequantityofinterest
dependsonanother.Mathematicallyproficientstudentswhocanapplywhattheyknowarecomfortable
makingassumptionsandapproximationstosimplifyacomplicatedsituation,realizingthatthesemayneed
revisionlater.Theyareabletoidentifyimportantquantitiesinapracticalsituationandmaptheir
relationshipsusingsuchtoolsasdiagrams,twowaytables,graphs,flowchartsandformulas.Theycan
analyzethoserelationshipsmathematicallytodrawconclusions.Theyroutinelyinterprettheir
mathematicalresultsinthecontextofthesituationandreflectonwhethertheresultsmakesense,
possiblyimprovingthemodelifithasnotserveditspurpose.Withourlastclassproblem,theslidesurvey,
wewereabletothinkbeyondourpaperandapplymathematicsintoareallifesituationandatthestartof
theyearIwouldn'thavethoughtaboutmuchuseformathoutsidetheclassroom.

2. Inwhichgoaldidyoufindtheleastgrowththisyear?Whatkeptyoufromgrowinginthisarea?
Whatcanyoudodifferentlynextyear?
Ifeltasifmy
Reasoningabstractlyandquantitativelythisyearhasbeenlacking.Reasoningabstractlyandquantitatively
isMathematicallyproficientstudentsmakesenseofquantitiesandtheirrelationshipsinproblemsituations.Theybringtwo
complementaryabilitiestobearonproblemsinvolvingquantitativerelationships:theabilityto
decontextualize
toabstract
agivensituationandrepresentitsymbolicallyandmanipulatetherepresentingsymbolsasiftheyhavealifeoftheirown,
withoutnecessarilyattendingtotheirreferentsandtheabilityto
contextualize
,topauseasneededduringthe
manipulationprocessinordertoprobeintothereferentsforthesymbolsinvolved.Quantitativereasoningentailshabitsof
creatingacoherentrepresentationoftheproblemathandconsideringtheunitsinvolvedattendingtothemeaningof
quantities,notjusthowtocomputethemandknowingandflexiblyusingdifferentpropertiesofoperationsandobjects.I
dontthinkItriedhardenoughinthisareaandthatswhatpreventedanygrowth.NextyearIknowthatifItryandputeffort
intowhatI'mdoing,Illbeabletogrowalot.

3. Describehowyoucontributedtothelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.Siteexamples
ofhowyoucontributedtowholeclassdiscussionsandsmallgroupsdiscussions.Describe
howthishasaffectedyourabilitytolearnandgrowasamathematician.

ItendtobereallyquietinclassdiscussionsbecauseIalwaysliketohearwhatotherpeoplehavetosay
andhearhowtheygotananswerandtheirthoughtprocessbehindthat.Whenidotalk,Iliketotalkwhen
wehavesmallgroupdiscussionsbecauseit'seasiertogetmypointacrossanditgivesthatsmallsized
interactionbetweentheotherstudentsatmytableandmyself.PersonallyIfeellikeIlearnbetterinsmall
groupssoIalwaysparticipatemorewhensmallgroupsareinvolved.

4. Whatwerethemostsignificantthingsthatyoulearnedthissemester?Whatdidyoulearn
aboutExponentialFunctions,Programming,FinancialPlanningandTrigonometrythatyou
didnotknowatthebeginningoftheyear?Howcouldtheseconceptsorideasbeusefulto
youinreallife?Explainhow/whenyoucanusethem.

Iverealizedthissemesterthatprogrammingisareallyimportantaspectofourworldtoday,and
gettinganopportunitytoworkonprogramminginclasswasauniqueopportunity.Programmingis
startingtobeanimportantskillneededandprogrammingcanbeaskillthatwilleasilygetyouhired
inaworkplacebecauseitgivesyouacompetitiveedge.

5.
Describehowyourintelligencehasgrownthroughyoureffortsintheclassthisyear.

Ifeellikemyintelligencethisyearhasgrownalotsincemathhasneverbeenmystrongsuit
becausei'veneverunderstoodanymathematicalconceptsbutthisyearhasbeendifferent.Ive
beenabletocomprehendmanyofthemathconceptsthatwevecoveredthisyearandItmakes
merealizethatIhavelearnedalotandmyintelligencehasgrown.

6.Tellmeaboutsomethingthathaschallengedyouorthatyoudidntunderstandinthelasttwo
projects.Whatdidyoudotoworkthroughitandunderstandit?Howdidyoushow
grit
andhowdid
you
persevere
throughit?Whatcouldyouhavedonebetterduringthistime?

Thissecondsemesterasawholewasveryhardformebecausewecoveredalotofmathtopics
thatIhadnthadanypreviousexposuretoandthatmademathclassreallyhardforme.Theonly
thingIcoulddowasstudyandpayattentioninclass.WhatIfoundespeciallyhelpfulwasthe
Barron'sSATbook.Itwentoveralotoftheconceptsthatwewereworkingoninclassandwiththe
helpofthebookIwasabletounderstandmostofthethingsgoingoninmathclass.


7.Whatareyoumostproudofthissemester/yearandwhy?Bespecificanduseevidenceif
possible.

I'mreallyproudofmyselfforalltheprogrammingIwasabletodoinclassbecauseinthebeginning
itwasreallyhardformetogetusetoitbuttowardstheendIknewwhatIwasdoinganditgot
easier.ImreallyproudofmyselfforalltheworkIdidinprogrammingandIknowthatIwillbeable
tousemyprogrammingknowledgeinthefuture.