Precalculus: Final Reflection

How did you grow as an Osprey in this class?
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In Precalculus this year, I found that my perseverance was repeatedly tested. I often found myself confused when I first had to face a problem or question and figure it out with only the help of my peers. At first, my instinct was to give up and turn to something else instead, and I will admit that I gave in to those temptations sometimes. In this class, however, I accomplished the most when I finally found the strength to face my confusion head-on and pick it apart. For the most part, our POWs weren't easy for me to understand, but with some help from friends, I found ways to understand them and make beautiful work. 
Precalculus was also an exercise in perspective- the solutions to major problems were never even remotely obvious. I was reminded to always approach these problems with an open mind, using creativity alongside logic to find a solution. Sharing perspectives with classmates also helped us all solve problems together- seeing it from another point of view never hurts.

How did you grow as a mathematician in this class?
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In this class, I feel I actually learned more legitimate ways that advanced math can be applied and witnessed in the real world. That may seem like a stereotypical thing to say at Animas, but this class certainly had me thinking beyond typical "real world math" like budgeting money and measuring volume. Meadows and Malls, with the many variables and constraints we juggled, especially held my attention. I also loved picking apart the distance and circle formulas in an earlier unit, seeing how they worked and why we used them. At the end of each unit, the math I initially found confusing always meant so much more.
    My communication skills in math continued to improve this year. At times in this class, I found myself explaining some of the concepts I understood to Jadin, which helped me understand them a little more thoroughly myself. Group work offered another chance for me to practice mathematical communication with my peers. While it didn't always work out- my Meadows or Malls report being an unfortunate example- the little moments when it did were worth it. I enjoyed working through big problems on the whiteboard with some of the math nerds in my pod, or occasionally just talking about them with James or Victor.

I would say that, overall, I enjoyed my time in this class very much. While I did sometimes struggle, in the end I was able to look into some big ideas and create beautiful work.

Unit 2: Meadows or Malls

In this unit, we had to use systems of linear equations to find the best solution to a real-world problem- one that Durango actually faced years ago. We worked as a consulting firm would, deciding how to divide up three parcels of land to recreation and development purposes while meeting all requirements.  My writeup, reflection, and official report for this problem are below. 

POW 4: Planning the Platforms

Unit 1: The Orchard Hideout

In this unit, we explored a variety of different topics under the umbrella of the titular Orchard Hideout question. See some of my work below. 

Portfolio and Selection of Work

Problems of the Week