Mathematics Goals

Spring Branch's goals for students of mathematics K-12 are similar to those of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as stated in the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (March 1989). The intent of these goals is that students will become mathematically literate. This term denotes an individual's ability to explore, to conjecture, and to reason logically, as well as to master a variety of mathematical methods and use them effectively to solve problems. By becoming literate, their mathematical power should develop. Our goals are for student to:

0. LEARN TO VALUE MATHEMATICS.
   Students should have numerous and varied experiences related to the cultural, historical, and scientific evolution of mathematics so that they can appreciate the role of mathematics in the development of our society and explore mathematics and the disciplines it serves: the physical and life sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.
1. BECOME CONFIDENT IN ONE'S OWN ABILITY.
   As a result of studying mathematics, students need to view themselves as capable of using their growing mathematical power to make sense of new problem situations in the world around them. We must endow all students with a realization that doing mathematics is a common human activity. Having numerous and varied experiences allows students to trust their own mathematical thinking.
2. BECOME A MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM SOLVER.
   The development of each student's ability to solve problems is essential if he or she is to be a productive citizen. Problem solving should be the focus of school mathematics. Students need to work on problems that may take hours, days, and even weeks to solve. Although some may be exercises to be accomplished independently, others should involve small groups or an entire class working cooperatively. Some problems should be open-ended with no right answer, and others need to be formulated so as to arrive at a right answer.
3. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE MATHEMATICALLY.
   The development of a student's power to use mathematics involves mastering the signs, symbols, and terms of mathematics. This is best accomplished in problem situations where students have the opportunity to read, write, and discuss ideas in which the use of the language of mathematics becomes natural. As students communicate their ideas, they learn to clarify, refine, and consolidate their thinking.
4. LEARN TO REASON MATHEMATICALLY.
   Making conjectures, gathering evidence, and building an argument to support notions are fundamental to doing mathematics. A demonstration of good reasoning should be rewarded as well as a student's ability to find correct answers. Technology should impact every facet of mathematics, especially the area of logical reasoning because of the vast capabilities of computers and calculators to help students make conjectures, gather evidence and build an argument.
5. UNDERSTAND FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PROCEDURES OF MATHEMATICS.
   Students must engage in exploring, conjecturing, and reasoning to develop a clear understanding of fundamental concepts and procedures in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.

Spring Branch's goals for students of mathematics K - 12 are those of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as stated in the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (March 1989). The intent of these goals is that students will become mathematically literate. This term denotes an individual's ability to explore, to conjecture, and to reason logically, as well as to use a variety of mathematical methods effectively to solve problems. By becoming literate, their mathematical power should develop. Our goals are for students to:

1. LEARN TO VALUE MATHEMATICS. Students should have numerous and varied experiences related to the cultural, historical, and scientific evolution of mathematics so that they can appreciate the role of mathematics in the development of our society and explore mathematics and the disciplines it serves: the physical and life sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

2. BECOME CONFIDENT IN ONE'S OWN ABILITY. As a result of studying mathematics, students need to view themselves as capable of using their growing mathematical power to make sense of new problem situations in the world around them. We must endow all students with a realization that doing mathematics is a common human activity. Having numerous and varied experiences allows students to trust their own mathematical thinking.

3. BECOME A MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM SOLVER. The development of each student's ability to solve problems is essential if he or she is to be a productive citizen. Problem solving should be the focus of school mathematics. Students need to work on problems that may take hours, days, and even weeks to solve. Although some may be exercises to be accomplished independently, others should involve small groups or an entire class working cooperatively. Some problems should be open-ended with no right answer, and others need to be formulated so as to arrive at a right answer.

4. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE MATHEMATICALLY. The development of a student's power to use mathematics involves learning the signs, symbols, and terms of mathematics. This is best accomplished in problem situations where students have the opportunity to read, write, and discuss ideas in which the use of the language of mathematics becomes natural. As students communicate their ideas, they learn to clarify, refine, and consolidate their thinking.

5. LEARN TO REASON MATHEMATICALLY. Making conjectures, gathering evidence, and building an argument to support notions are fundamental to doing mathematics. A demonstration of good reasoning should be rewarded even more than a student's ability to find correct answers. Technology should impact every facet of mathematics, especially the area of logical reasoning because of the vast capabilities of computers and calculators to help students make conjectures, gather evidence and build an argument.

6. UNDERSTAND FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PROCEDURES OF MATHEMATICS. Students must engage in exploring, conjecturing, and reasoning to develop a clear understanding of fundamental concepts and procedures in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.