I was reading over the first two entries, and realized that I've been pretty mathy without any indication of what I am actually trying to do. So allow me to explain ...
When I tell my students to "show the work", what I mean is I want them to show me their thought process. Whether their answer is right or wrong, I am really interested in knowing what was going on inside their brains when they were thinking about the problem. If the answer was correct, then I get to see the process the student used to get to that answer, and compare it to the processes other students used to get their correct answers. If the answer is wrong, then I can better see what misconceptions the students have about the process or the more general concept, and then I can take steps to help adjust that misconception. Either way, when a student lets me see their work, I get to be a better teacher for that student because I am learning something about them.
By calling this blog "Showing the Work", my intention is to let you see my thought process, and how I am coming to what I think are the right answers. Along the way, I am likely to have a number of misconceptions, and you are welcome to see those as well. Based on my first two posts, there is a lot of math going on in my brains, but there is also a lot of pedagogy and educational philosophy. I'll try to make sure to show my work there as well.
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