Comments by GeoSET Students
Often teachers of the GeoSET course ask students to give their thoughts and ideas about their own experiences with geometry and how the course works for them. These are interesting to read, and we hope they might also be of help to new students taking the class.
When I don't understand a problem or idea or when it doesn't make sense to me, this is what I do:
"I listen to others and try to understand their thinking. I am also not afraid to ask questions of how they got to a certain point. Questions that get answered help me think through my mistakes."
The way I know that I am sure about concept or idea is when:
"I talk with fellow students in a group setting and compare answers. Not only does this help me understand if I know the concept, but it also gives me a chance to discuss the concept with others."
What are your thoughts and feelings about this course so far? Are there things you like? Are there things that really bother you? How is it like you expected or different from what you expected?:
"I like how when a difficult problem comes up that someone can't seem to solve on their own, the class is encouraged to suggest alternate methods of solving it. I expected it to be more of a lecture class instead of being based on group work and discussion, but I'm glad I was wrong."
Most of the class time in this course is taken up by whole class discussions of the day's assignment. This replaces the more traditional lecture. My thoughts and feelings about this are:
"I like it. I often do things a "hard way." Hearing others' ways of doing things helps me to be sure I understand the reasons behind an idea and not just the process. I feel that many students didn't like this method becasue they have to think, but I feel it builds confidence in thinking, and as teachers we need confidence in our thinking or our students won't feel comfortable in theirs."
Many course activities (e.g. CD problems, describing relationships, expressing your thinking, etc.) provide opportunities for you to write about your ideas or insights about a geometric situation. My thoughts and feelings about this are:
"I think it is good to write out our thinking process. It helps me understand the problem more and makes me more capable to explain it."