Self-Reflection
Throughout my work on this multigenre project, I have been challenged to change my way of thinking what teaching effectively really involves. As a former secondary mathematics student myself, I was taught math in a very traditional fashion. My teachers would stand in front of the classroom, write what we needed to know on the board, my classmates and I would take notes, and we would do homework involving similar problems to those we did with the teacher. I could have never imagined working in a group on an activity like one of those presented in this multigenre project. These activities not only help teach students the mathematics, they ensure that students actually conceptually understand the material. These activities, along with being more interesting, engaging, and more conducive to developing deeper understanding, are great tools for all of the students in the classroom to use as different means of expressing their mathematical ideas and understanding. I have learned in my pre-service teaching classes that we must present students engaging tasks that require them to think conceptually instead of just memorize information (such as formulas). The activities presented in a multigenre project are relevant to a wide range of students and, in the end, help foster deeper conceptual understanding. With this in mind, I am a lot more likely to use this multigenre project in my own classroom as either a replacement or a supplement to traditional instructional methods. This is a great resource to help all students learn the mathematics in a different way than they are used to.