Mathematics
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to learn math
from someone trained as a cryptologist? Want to learn geometry from a math
teacher with a background designing and building sets for school plays? Would
your current statistics teacher involve your class in collecting and
synthesizing data for a school committee making a decision about the daily
schedule—or invite someone to class to answer your questions about how a love
of statistics landed him in the front office at the Boston Red Sox? Doesn't it
make sense to learn programming in AP Computer Science from a former software
engineer?
While we certainly do spend time writing on the board,
asking you questions, and assigning homework, it is just as likely that you and
your classmates at LA will be the ones at the board—or other locations on
campus—wrestling with problems as we stand aside, letting you think for
yourself. We may ask you and two or three classmates, for example, to use
dominoes to demonstrate inductive/deductive reasoning. We use one software
application to help you trace (and change) the trajectory of each shot you take
from the "foul line" to investigate the equations of a parabola; another will
help you discover mathematical patterns when graphing equations. Practice graphing
linear equations by writing them as you play virtual golf, and build a working
model of a ferris wheel to help yourself understand trigonometric functions.
You may never look at spaghetti the same way again after the class spent
experimenting with sine and cosine values!
While memorizing will always be part of the equation,
learning math at Lawrence is primarily about exploring and discovering concepts
and drawing your own conclusions. You will frequently spend class time
discussing problem-solving strategies, experimenting with different approaches,
and learning how to see patterns—all so that you can learn to think and work
problems like a mathematician. Sounds like what math class ought to be, right?
If we spoon feed you answers, you can pretend to do math for
a day; if we teach you how to solve problems on your own, you are a
mathematician whenever you need to be.
Technology in math classes
The use of technology is an important component at all levels and, most
especially, in the upper-level courses. Students need to be comfortable
with computers and calculators. They need to see these technical aids
as tools rather than as magic wands. To that end, the Texas Instruments
TI-84 graphing calculator is required for all courses. Further, the
Mathematics Department has three computer classrooms, each with a 2:1
ratio of students to computers.
