Preparing for our Teacher's Circle!

The portions of the workshop that we can adapt are the actual tangle dance, the transition to algebra and writing the tangle number. The dance was a fun visual and really connected to what we were learning, then using the functions to write the tangle number is very concrete.

I think we should start the teacher’s circle with what knot is and how we can make a knot into a tangle using the ropes. After we introduce that we can start by doing the tangle dance to create the tangle. This should be done a couple of times so teachers can really understand what is happening when we twist or rotate. After we complete the dance, we should start talking about the algebra behind the tangle what functions make each. Then we can start with the tangle number working to untangle then write out how to create the tangle and draw it. Once the tangle is drawn, we can talk about how to color the tangle. I believe that this would take the whole 2-hour time period, giving teachers an inside glimpse to knots and tangles.

I would like to take responsibility for untangling the tangle then working to draw it!  

My Favorite Theorem--> Laura Taalman

Listening to the podcast My Favorite Theorem is fun! It is refreshing to hear people talking about math and making jokes, that is what I liked particularly about this most recent episode. I think that the theory Laura Taalman talked about was very interesting however I was very confused at first. The way this theorem was talked about really shows how interesting and exciting knot theory is. It is difficult, intricate and in some ways still developing. This theorem was only proved years ago, very different from many mathematical theories that were published many, many years ago. I like that Laura compared her favorite theorem to champagne. She said that this is something that should be celebrated and I agree. I want my students to understand that math is something that should be celebrated. Mathematicians work so hard to develop theorems with proofs and it is exciting!

I think my understanding of knots and algebra has evolved very much. This course has forced to me to think outside of the box, like WAY outside the box. It has forced me to become very visual and artistic. I think that it is making me a better teacher in a way, its giving me an outside perspective as a teacher for what my students think about and how they learn. They things that have worked best for me so far are the videos of our previous classes. I like to go back and review them while I am completing homework or prepping for our next class. Another thing that has worked for me is all the activities we have done. It really brings home what have learned and I use them as a visual if I am struggling to figure something out.

I have had many challenges this semester because I am used to understanding everything. When I am sitting in class, I understand what we are doing but when I get home I draw a blank. I am not sure what I could do differently to fix that. I also struggle with the fact that there really isn’t much information on knot theory, that I can find online, that would be helpful. In the past if I was struggling with something I would just look for resources and how-to’s online but there isn’t anything.