I’m a teacher with fifteen years of experience teaching Algebra 1 for the first time in twelve years. Minneapolis has adopted Discovering Algebra from Key Curriculum Press so I’ve decided to write down notes for each section so that my second and subsequent years teaching this course will be done in a way that will be more beneficial to my students.
17 December 2007 at 07:03
Good day Mr. Towne, this is my third year teaching algebra 1 using the Discovery method, I enjoyed your class room notes and lesson plans. I have only been teaching for 7 years, but i have a broad span of knowledge when it comes to algebra. My class however is a year long algebra class and we take our time going through the various lessons. So write now I am on chapter 4 liner plots. I find that my students weakness is their ability to relate and think. Not to mention their computational skills are weak a best, they use a calculator for everything even when multiply something as simple as 4 times 8, or subtracting 11 – 2. I applaud your effort and wish you the best.
23 April 2008 at 09:10
Hi Bill,
A great start!!! This is how I see teaching and learning being developed for the future, a future I wish I could be a part of. It’s about teachers who understand the creativity process needed so you can address the individual needs, strengths and weaknesses of each student you are responsible for.
Dick Velner
30 April 2008 at 11:38
Hey Bill,
Strange to find another Towne teaching High School Math.
My name, before getting married, was Towne.
I teach math in rural Washington State.
Nice to find your Blog.
Greg Bell-Towne
19 September 2008 at 14:23
Hello, I teach Algebra I. Are you open to my sharing your worksheets with my students? I have some made which are similar, but am not technological to upload them onto the internet…
thanks
23 February 2009 at 18:45
After using Discovery, what is your overall reveiw of the text?
23 February 2009 at 19:16
I like the textbook. It wasn’t my first choice, but I’m happy with it. I like that it isn’t too repetative with the exercises – a student has to reason though a problem rather than relying on the previous ten that they have just done. The problems themselves are not terribly difficult, but still bring in “real-life” problems. I’m presently working with exponentials (chapter 6) and I am pleased that kids get finance, population, and half-life problems, just to name a few since it makes my curriculum coincide with the other disciplines.
I do supplement a whole bunch, as you can see from this blog. And some of the investigations are too long for what I think my students will get out of them. But those drawbacks don’t make it a bad curriculum, and I think that the book compares favorably with a couple of the textbooks that our district considered adopting.