Demonstrating mathematical thinking is one of the key goals of my class. Mathematical thinking equips students with the ability to use mathematics effectively, encompassing reasoning, modeling, and making connections between ideas. Therefore, I place significant emphasis on the process, and a major portion of the grading will be based on how well students show their work.
How do students benefit from showing their process?
Explaining how to solve a problem demonstrates a deep understanding of the concept and process.
During the process of explaining their answer, students can catch and correct mistakes they made while solving the problem.
Recognizing patterns is a major component of math. By explaining their mathematical thinking, students will begin to identify these patterns.