National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Classroom
Author(s): Angela L. E. Walmsley and Aaron Hickman
Source: The Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 99, No. 9 (MAY 2006), pp. 614-621
Published by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27972078 .
Accessed: 24/04/2014 17:21
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to The Mathematics Teacher.
http://www.jstor.org
on Student of
Impact Perception
Use in a Geometry Classroom
In thePaideia Program, Mortimer Adler (1984) "No attention, no engagement, no learning!" per
states that "the activity of themind is occa fectlydescribes the note-taking methods listed above
sioned or initiated by wonder, sustained by in (Banikowski and Mehring 1999, p. 5).
terest and excitement, and reinforced by the pleas Most students are exposed to a traditional typeof
ure inherent in the activity itselfand by delight in note taking that requires them towrite what the
its success" (p. 47). Yet, inmany mathematics class teacher says orwhat the teacher puts on theboard dur
rooms, the teachingmethods used are contrary to inga lecture.Although it is true that the information
each piece ofAdler's statement.More specifically, from the lesson is conveyed from teacher to student,
teachers insist on note-taking strategies that bind note taking of thisnature does not engage or sustain
and inhibit the curiosity and creativity of students. student attention and may not be an effective way for
Most of these strategies involve copyingmain points students to learn and understand. Instead of just hav
word forword from the board, copying theorems ing students copy notes from theboard, a teacher could
from the book word forword, or possibly matching make note taking an activity that engages and sustains
words with their definitions on a worksheet. One students' attentionwhile allowing them to explore and
might question whether these styles of note taking personalize thematerial presented.
are effective in fostering genuine understanding and When students participate in an actively engaging
prolonged retention of thematerial being taught. environment, both cognitively and physically, they
perceive themselves as makers, not just receivers, of
This departmentconsists of articles that bringresearch insightsand findingsto knowledge (Davies andWavering 1999). We
an audience of teachers and othermathematics educators. Articlesmust make
thought that ifstudents did more than just take tra
explicitconnectionsbetween research and teachingpractice.Our conceptionof ditional notes during a lecture theywould develop a
research is a broad one; it includes research on student learning,on teacher
thinking,on language in themathematics classroom, on policy and practice in feeling of responsibility for and ownership of their
mathematics education, on technology in the classroom, on internationalcom education; and in turn, theywould begin to perceive
parativework,andmore. The articles inthisdepartmentfocuson importantideas themselves as makers of knowledge. By helping stu
and includevividwritingthatmakes research findingscome to lifeforteachers. dents cultivate this feeling,we created an atmo
Our goal isto publisharticles thatare appropriateforreflectivediscussions at de
spherewhere studentswould be more eager to par
partmentmeetings or anyother gatheringsof highschoolmathematics teachers.
For furtherinformation, contact the departmenteditor. ticipate, explore, and discuss thematerial presented.
A major step in creating this type of environ
Edited byUbby Knott, knott<i>mso.umtedu ment was to use a note-taking strategy that allowed
UniversityofMontana,Missoula,MT 59812 students to explore and discover new material
while permitting them to organize, study, and learn
tional to themeasures of corresponding sides. understandable manner, and the individual has personalized
If two triangles are similar, then themeasures of the corre much of thematerial.
sponding altitudes are proportional to themeasures of the Organization: The material is organized with similarmaterials
corresponding sides. grouped togetherand connected with supporting information.
If two triangles are similar, then themeasures of the corre The material is organized in a coherent and understandable
sponding angle bisectors are proportional to themeasures of manner with a few inconsistencies.
only
the corresponding sides. Illustrations: All illustrations and constructions are present
If two triangles are similar, then themeasures of the corre and have some typeof identificationand reference to the con
spondingmedians are proportional to themeasures of the cept theyare supporting.Most illustrationsarewell drawn, col
corresponding sides. ored, and accurately display the concept.
An angle bisector in a triangleseparates theopposite sides into Clarity: The material isunderstandable and easy to locate. Illus
segments thathave the same ratio as theother two sides. trationsare used tohelp support and clarifyconcepts presented.
If a line is parallel to one side of a triangle and intersects the The material is presented in a logical order,with few inconsisten
other two sides in two distinct points, then it separates these cies, thathelps the reader understand thematerial.
sides into segments of proportional lengths. Craftsmanship: Individual has takenmuch time to prepare text
If a line intersects two sides of a triangle and separates the book. The book possesses a unique styleand creativitythrough
sides into corresponding segments of proportional lengths, out and is neatly presented.A special efforthas been made to
then the line is parallel to the third side. make thebook more than just a collection of papers with words.
A segmentwhose endpoints are themidpoints of two sides
of a triangle is parallel to the third side of the triangleand its Excellent f18-20 points!
length is one-half the lengthof the third side. Content: Textbook contains all definitions, conjectures, illus
If three ormore parallel lines intersect two transversals, then trations,and constructions discussed and explored in class. The
they cut off the transversal proportionally. material is presented in an understandable and interestingman
ner, and the individual has personalized most of thematerial.
You need to include definitions and theoremswhen neces Organization: The material is very organizedwith similarmate
sary in your textbooks.Try to personalize these definitions rials grouped together,and strongconnections aremade with sup
and theorems so that theymake sense toyou. You also need porting information.The material is organized in a very coherent
to include examples and illustrationsof these concepts. Please and easily understandable
manner with no inconsistencies.
create your own. Do not copy from your books or notes. If Illustrations: All illustrations and constructions are present
you have questions, refer to the rubric for the textbook. and have a typeof identification and reference to the concept it
is supporting.All illustrations arewell drawn, colored, and ac
Rubric for the "mini-textbook" curately display the concept. Extra care has been taken for cre
ation of illustrations.
Weak ?0-13 points! Clarity: The material is very understandable and easy to locate,
Content: Textbook lacksmany of the definitions, conjectures, and thebook flowswell fromone section to another. Illustra
illustrations, and constructions discussed and explored in class. tions provide key insights, through references, into the concepts
The material is not presentedwell, and none or littlepersonal presented. The material is presented in a logical order,with no
meaning is includedwithin these four areas. inconsistencies, thathelps the reader understand thematerial.
Organization: Little organization is evident. Similarmaterials Craftsmanship: Individual has given the creation of his/her
are spread throughout thebook with no connections to support book special attention and time.Great attention has been given
ing information (illustration, construction, etc.), and there is lit to style,design, and creativity.The textbook is not only neat,
tle coherence ofmaterial. but also well crafted.A great efforthas been made to present
Illustrations: Few illustrations or constructions are present in the material in a professional manner.
dicated that theirmethod of note taking consisted of The final question of the last survey asked the
writing what a teacher says orwrites. It appears students to decide which method of note taking
that at least half of the students take notes by writ they preferred overall. The students overwhelm
ingwhat a teacher says orwrites during a lecture, ingly preferred the columnar style.While the per
with littlepersonalization of thatmaterial. sonalized note-taking method offeredmore creativ
topics. The answer to the question is yes?students Sousa, David A. How the Brain Learns. Reston, VA:
who used the columnar style of note taking utilized National Association of Secondary School
theirnotes forunderstanding most effectively. oo
Principals, 1995.
After our informal studywas completed, we contin
ued to encourage students to use the columnar
form of note taking creatively to understand and, The appendix begins on thefollowing page.
we hoped, master thematerial. Based upon obser
vations of student reaction in the classroom and the
slight positive results from the data, we conclude ANGELA L E. WALMSLEY, walmsley@slu.edu,
that a positive relationship can be found between teaches at Saint Louis University,St. Louis, MO
changing the traditional style of note taking and 63108. Her interests includemathematics educa
student perception of their own increased use of tion and educational research. AARON HICKMAN,
note taking and understanding ofmaterial. ahickman@pkwy.k12.mo.us, teaches at Parkway
We encourage others to try these various types West High School, Baliwin, MO 63011. He teaches
of note taking in their classes. Because of the small prealgebra, geometry, and calculus.
sample size in our experiment, a more formal study
could be performed by assessing grades or student
opinions formally for each type of note taking. This
could be done by a high school teacher who was
teaching two or three sections of the same course According to the U.S. Census,
and who could compare the different types of note which of the followingis closest
taking between the different sections. to the number of Americans who
REFERENCES were alive when the first issue of
Adler, Mortimer. The Paideia Program: An the Mathematics Teacher was
Educational Syllabus. New York: MacMillan, 1984.
published?
Banikowski, Alison K., and Teresa A. Mehring.
3. Do you feel that taking notes helps with your understanding of thematerial being taught? M S L
For the following questions, please write a brief response that best answers each question.
4. Please explain why orwhy not you feel that taking notes helps with your understanding of thematerial being taught
5. Please describe themethod ormethods you use when you take notes during a class.
Yes Maybe No
3. How much did you use the notes taken in class to study for the test?
4. Compared with your previous method of note taking, how would you describe this type of note taking in relation to your
understanding of thematerial? I understood thematerial:
For the following questions, please write a brief response that best answers each question.
5. Please explain why orwhy not you feel that this type of note takinghelped with your understanding of thematerial.
6. Please state any advantages or disadvantages with using this style of note taking and explain your opinion.
2.Will you continue to use thismethod of note taking in other classes? Yes No
Maybe
3. How much did you use the notes taken in class to study for the test? A Great Deal Some Not Much
4. Compared to the previous methods of note taking,how would you describe this type of note taking in relation to your
understanding of thematerial? I understood thematerial:
For the following questions, please write a brief response that best answers each question.
5. Please explain why orwhy not you feel that this type of note taking helped with your understanding of thematerial.
6. Please state any advantages or disadvantages with using this style of note taking and explain your opinion.
7. Consider your original style of note taking, the col?mii/putline note-takihg style, and the illustrated "mini-book"
note-taking style.Do you prefer one type of note taking over another? Please explain why orwhy not.
m
^Membership ReferralProgram
?WOur Celebration of Strength in Numbers
$200NCTM giftcertificate
Set of books fromNCTM's brand new Assessment series
Trip toNCTM's 2007 Annual Meeting inAtlanta.
*k -tv
To learnmore about theprogram and prizes or to download applications, visit
www.nctm.org/membership/referral.htm. *- -???.,:. t-.
--^a?lttt?
Il