The Shapes we'd made

We had decided to start the week with an outdoor game. Just like the previous groups, our game was with stations where each groups are to play. There were four stations. The game on one station was forming a particular form out of shapes given. Another was on being able to measure a triangle on the ground and I forgot what the egg my groupmates brought was for. I was with a groupmate, in one station. Ours was about using matchsticks to form different figures with a limited number of moves and time. Some groups had them all right and some did not. The game ended after all groups had finished all stations.

                On the second day, we had our debate and the film presentation. The debate topic proceeds on the argument that “The shortest distance you can go from point a to b is always a straight line”. I was on the cons. I argued that there are two types of geometry, the Eucledian and the non-Eucledian. The non-Eucledian has a curved shape thus, there would not be any straight line to connect point a to point b in the shortest possible measurement. I also pointed out that the universe is in fact not flat since space and time is curved caused by gravity of the heavenly bodies. The debate went well and our pros argued well that it was a very good and fair. We hadn’t won our audiences hearts with our argument but I think we had said enough to present our point and made them consider it.

                The presentation we made was a musical about a girl who was not into math since she had gotten a lot of “Fs” from her tests. She somehow wanted to impress a classmate she liked however she just cant. Her sister wanted her to appreciate math by taking her to a “Math wonderland”. People in that place sang and persuaded the girl to appreciate math especially geometry. Soon, the girl became interested in math and tried hard to be good at it. And one day she finally got the right answer and learned to love math. It ended with a song and a live performance. 

When It Was Our Time To Shine

Our journey for all the preparation was both fun and stressful. Those two don’t usually come together but this time it did. Most of the stressful part was during the preparation. The games were decided to be outdoors. There were a bunch of stations, each with a different task to complete. The decision for the winning group was simple: the one that finished all the tasks with the shortest time.

There were four stations. Most of the stations involved puzzles in relation to geometry. One game involved card matching wherein the players match the type of triangle to its appropriate name. I think the highlight was the “Eggzoited much” station where the teams needed to relay a raw egg before they solve the area of the triangle they are standing on. All the teams completed their mission and nobody got disqualified for cracking the egg. As for our team, we finished one task down, and it was time to prepare for the other two: debate and presentation.

The debate part was relatively easy. We decided on the motion and prepared for our speeches individually according to the position assigned to us. We contemplated for some time and came up with the decision that we wanted to argue about whether the shortest distance between two points is always a straight line. At first it we thought it was pretty silly for a motion but we realized it is debatable and it was going to be a technical one. I was assigned to be the prime minister so I set the parameters and standards of the debate. I presented the main arguments of my house and opened the ground for battle. The government side mostly defended the Euclidean geometry while the opposition stood for the non-Euclidean. According to the tally of votes, the government side won and it might be safe to say that the audience believed it was always a straight line that connected two points the shortest. Although in my opinion, the opposition side should have won because they had clearer arguments and firmer stand.

The preparation for the presentation was the most stressful part. We couldn’t quite decide whether to go live or make a video. We already had a story line a week before and we decided it would be musical for a change. But we encountered a lot of difficulties and most of it involved time. We wanted to keep it simple so as to avoid the stress brought about by editing. We ended up doing a video anyway and I was both the narrator and the cameraman. It was a story about a girl who hated math because of her failures. But with the help of some songs and her sister, she found herself eventually loving math. We finished it with a live final song and it was good.

Geometry: A Narrative Report

           February 12, 2014. This was the first day of our group performance. On this day, we conducted games which were all related to geometry. I was the one who prepared for the activity, and the games that I chose were entitled (1) Pick Me, (2) Man in the Shadows, (3) Another Egypt, and (4) Eggzoited Much. Four games we selected since there were four groups in the whole class that participated. The 1^st game, Pick Me, was sort of a memory game in which the player must match the cards one at a time. The twist in this game was to memorize the cards so as to determine each card’s match.  The second game, Man in the Shadows, dealt with arranging the given various geometric shapes to perfectly fit the shadow representing a man. Hence, a man in the shadows.  Another Egypt, the 3^rd game, involved six match sticks and forming them into 4 triangles, 3 of whom have equal sizes. Modifications were done in this game to make it more challenging, such as forming 5 match sticks into a liquid. Do you know the answer? It’s IHI. hahaha . The last game was named Eggzoited Much. Why? Simply because this was a modification of the egg relay. The twist here was that before they are allowed to relay the egg, they must first find the area of the given triangle (formed by yarn) on the ground.  The winner was based on a tally on who first finished each game.  Hence, there was a huge time pressure imposed on the players. Unexpectedly, all the players finished all the games within just about forty-five minutes. However, I was not able to really witness the thrill of the games since I was tasked to stay in the classroom and guard their belongings. L I did a little survey though and my classmates said they really enjoyed the games. Maybe the time pressure added spice to the activity. At the end of the period, I was glad that the first day of reporting was done, and most importantly, the smiles on my friends’ faces lightened up my heart. J

            February 14, 2014.  This was the day of our second and last reporting.  The activities we prepared were a debate and a video presentation. The main argument of the debate was that the shortest distance between two points is always a straight line. The government house, which was the pro, won the debate. I was really nervous during the debate since I knew too well that my nerves would get to me first before I could even finish uttering my words. Even though we did not totally capture the attention of all our classmates, I was glad to see that some were really listening and jiving with us.

The next in line was the video presentation.  In order to present something fresh and unique, we did a musical presentation. The lyrics of the song tackled on the history of the mathematics, and the things that make the world pleasing to the eyes—that is, the geometric shapes. Furthermore, through geometry, the love story of Enno and Vyem (only in the script hahaha), blossomed. After the video, we sang a short song to the whole class about fun and withstanding the challenges of geometry. Indeed, there’s more to geometry than just shapes. J  But wait! What really made that day extra special was the video presentation of Dan Sales to Ivy Dominguez. Oh, how brave that man was! Really, what a sweet, sweet day it had been.

My experiences in making our report taught me a lot of things. But among them all, the most important things I learned were TEAM EFFORT and PATIENCE:  team effort so as to do the work successfully and lightly, and patience for the things and moments that don’t turn out as how you expected them to be.  Due to these, I am now indebted to geometry. ;) 

Appreciating Geometry: Written Report

Last week, February 12 and 14, our group, the Geometry group led the class to do some creative ways of appreciating and presenting Geometry.

On our first day, our group facilitated an “amazing-race”-type-of-a-game. Our classmates, grouped into Algebra group, Number System group, Computers group and Statistics group were the participants. We placed four stations around the College of Science and Mathematics vicinity where these groups need to answer geometry problems in each station. I and my partner Carlie’s station formed a figure using different pieces of polygons. The players need to follow the sample figure that we showed to them. In the station of Lykie and Milce, the players need to measure the area of the triangle but before they could measure it, they had to relay the egg to their members. The station of Thea, did a matching game. Vyem and Enno’s station, did a mind game using match sticks where the players need to move a certain number from the original figure to another figure. The scores of the players were based on how fast they could answer the problems.

On the second day, we had a debate and creative presentation. In our debate, our motion was that the shortest distance from point A to point B is a straight line. I was in the government side and the deputy prime minister. Before the debate, people voted in favour of us. After the debate, still many people were in favour of us. It was a fair and nice experience for me, since I was not used to joining a debate. But I enjoyed.

In our creative presentation, Carlie was our director. She was good in writing the script; and since it was a musical production, she was really good in composing songs. Yes, some of our songs were originally done by Carlie. Enno was our guitarist. Vyem was our main character and the rest were supporting actors. Oh yes, Milce was the narrator. It was fun being with these people. During our practices and shooting, they didn’t let me feel I’m different, since I’m in my 4^th year and they are 2^nd years. They were warm and very accommodating. Usually they’re the ones who take the initiative to talk to me. They never left me behind and they’re fun to be with. This group understands each other. For me, i would say this is the best group.

A Certain Ambiguity Book Review

A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel, was written by Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal.

So far, of all the books I’ve read for our book review requirement in our Math 1 class, “A Certain Ambiguity” is the best. Maybe because I’m in the Humanities department and mathematics was introduced into a novel form. I wish all math books are written this way. *smiles*

I really understood the story. It was fun reading it, and you can’t stop reading chapter after chapter. But unfortunately, I didn’t finish reading it. Much as I wanted to finish reading this book, lack of time and many requirements in other subjects were the hindrances. I was able to read up to chapter 3 which is a bit longer compared to other books, that I only reached chapter 1 then jumped to the last chapter. (A confession *smiles*) If Mathematics in Life is easy to understand because it’s just like reading a textbook, “A Certain Ambiguity” is easier to understand. I believe young people are more interested in reading novels than reading their textbooks in school. I commend the authors of this book by coming up with a mathematical novel, a new approach to mathematics. With this approach, it seems not so heavy to comprehend the mathematical concepts. Illustrations and figures were helpful, even the dialogues.

The story, personally, for me is interesting. Based on what I’ve read, Chapters 1 to3, the story about Ravi’s grandfather, grandfather’s belief and Ravi’s journey in America were something to look forward to with anticipation.

But what I looked forward to the most was the time Ravi’s grandfather, Vijay, stayed in New Jersey, especially when he was imprisoned. It was interesting for me because Vijay was an atheist, who didn’t believe that God exists. Even though he came from a religious country, India, and grew up in a religious family, his belief was contrary to his family background. He started to stray away from what his family believed the time he figured out that the one people believed was a hoax.

News spread all over their village that there was a girl who has a snake’s body and can do a miracle. People began going to the house of the half-girl-half-snake-creature to witness the miraculous signs of the creature and then they began to believe in that creature. But Vijay was observant. He noticed that there was a glass in front of the girl and also at the back of the girl, symmetrical to each other. When he threw a pebble toward the girl, the pebble bounced back. Then he realized that there was a mirror that gave illusion that the girl had a snake’s body. Starting that day, Vijay stopped believing that there is God.

It interests me not because I am an atheist, actually I am a follower of Jesus Christ, but because I want to understand where do the atheists’ beliefs come from. Why such beliefs apart from God? What lead them to their conclusion? It is so sad that because of just one incident, he generalized it and shifted his belief 180 degrees. I do not defend that the girl-snake creature was real, that was not, let me say, religion- part of their practices and beliefs but it was a hoax. I, neither believe in mystical creatures nor idols who cry or whatever. I believe in God. Too bad I didn’t finish reading “A Certain Ambiguity.” I should have known what happened to Vijay after their first talk with Judge Taylor. I wanted also to know how it affected Ravi’s belief. I’m not against mathematics either, but I believe that God created mathematics.

On the other hand, Ravi’s journey in Stanford was full of suspense. He narrates every detail of his daily activities. Like the “inside the classroom setting”, I feel like I am part of their class and sometimes I get insights and learning from the class discussion that I read. They have brilliant minds. They think so deep. But most of the time I can’t catch up with their amazing minds. I thought if I would be in that class, day 1, I will drop the subject. It only shows that I’m not really good in math.

Anyway, I like this book. It can easily be understood and it has made me to really appreciate math.

A Week of Hard Work: A written report

                  Before the month of January ends, we, the algebra group were informed that we are going to present a two day of reporting.  The reporting is composes of 3 parts: the debate, the presentation and the games. Before the exact week to come, we had a group conversation in the Facebook where we tackle about the ideas and concept for our upcoming reporting.  We decided to have a video presentation. Since the number system group presented a video about drama and mystery, we decided to pursue the genre of comedy show. The show spoofed were the Mutya ng Masa at Matanglawin.

                On the first Monday of February, we decided to record the video clips in the CSM. I was very late at our meeting time and place because I went home to Gensan in the long weekend and I had to rush coming back to Davao that Monday. I was so happy that the roommates are very understanding. We had not finished recording the scenes, we continued on the next day, Tuesday. Every one of us had the chance to be a star in our video presentation.

                February 3, 2014, Wednesday, the group agreed to spend the first day in playing a modified amazing race. There were six stations and pit stop. Each station was assigned to a specific person and that person was the one responsible facilitating its station. I was assigned in the sixth station; I picked a simple algebra puzzle downloadable in the internet and each group had only five minutes to solve the puzzle. The first group to reach my station had a hard time solving the puzzle and done it for about 4 minutes. The other groups solved the puzzle in just one minute. I decided to give candies in each group but the number of candies will be depending on the time they solved the puzzle. The minimum the time of solving the puzzle corresponds to a higher number of candies. Since each group solved the puzzle before the time limit, I decided to give five points in the overall ranking. At the end of the period, Zam gave us the tabulated scores and the Computer groups had the highest accumulated points.   

                February 4, 2014, Thursday, Zam, Karen and I were assigned to edit the video presentation. We had a hard time completing the video because of some technical difficulties but we still managed to finish the video in time. I spent the remaining time of that night preparing for our debate presentation. I was assigned at the opposition side as the whip speaker. Honestly, it was my first formal debate.

                The final day of the presentation had come and I had a hard time waking up because of the gloomy weather. In this day, we presented a debate discussion and video about consumer mathematics.

 During the debate, we discussed on what approach should be prioritize in teaching algebra in high school and college will be used; the operational approach or the conceptual approach. Each of the approach is significant and essential in understanding algebra. The initial count of vote from the class was government side (operational approach) had 7 votes while the opposition side (conceptual approach) had 8 votes. Each team discussed their arguments.  As the whip speaker of my team, I think I my performance was not enough but still I am happy the debate went all right. Each member of the group gave their best. Overall the debate became successful and interesting.

The video presentation was presented next. Most of us in the group were worried if the class will like it.  The class were silent at first but when they saw the face of Doris Bigornia (Nykka) on the screen they started to cheer. The story of the video evolved on how Doris helped Zeul to solve his problem and to produce its own company of soap. The first part of the story was the meeting of Zeul and Doris (Thank you Milce for being a cameo). Doris discovered Zuel had a problem and she asked kuya Kim (Zam) to help Zeul in his problem. Kuya Kim proposed a solution that he needed to borrow money from the bank. The next scene was Kuya Kim and Zuel went to the bank to borrow money with interest. The bank teller (Karen) entertained their need. Kuya Kim went to his friend scientist (Jaina) to ask for help. They created a formula of soap that helps Zuel in his success. After 1 year, kuya Kim and Zuel returned to the bank and pay the debt with 3.5% interest. The soap company of Zuel became popular and it was advertised (by Sharmaine). The next scene was me acting as a reporter and interviewing people who are using the Kalapati whitening soap (thank you Vyem, Irson, Ivy and Jayson for your participation in the video). The story ends with the scene where Doris closing the program with Zuel and kuya Kim.

I am happy that the class like it and there were laughs during the presentation. As one of the editor of the video, receiving positive feedback about the video made me satisfied with my work.

The class did not end after the video presentation, we had an indoor game. The game had the concept of “pass the message” but instead of a message, equations were the one that was passed in each member of the group and the last one to receive it will be the one to solve for x. At the end of the game the Geometry group won.

After all the presentation and games, I think that we, the algebra group, had done a great job. We developed team work and everything became a success. I hope that the class appreciate the algebra and learn something from our presentation. >_<

Two Days in the First Week of February: A Written Report

Two Days in the First Week of February

We are group Algebra and we were given two meetings for our group project. On the first day, we did our games. The mechanics for our game is simple: finish all the stations since. Obviously, it is amazing race. The mechanics may be simple but our tasks for our students are not. We had six stations and I was assigned as the first station. In my station, the task I made for my classmates was to complete a puzzle out from the pieces I gave them. After they have pictured out the puzzle, an algebraic puzzle was on it and they were to answer it. The problems were simple especially if they remembered what they have learned in math 11. I also gave bonus points once they have put my name on the calculator.

            On our second day, we did our debate, video presentation and another game. The game was like a “pass the message” but the message that they passed was an algebraic problem and the last person at the back will be the one to answer the problem. For the debate, the proposition was: Which Mathematical Perspective should be prioritized in secondary to college level education? I was on the opposition side as the deputy leader of opposition and we are pro-conceptual method.

We have established four points. First, math is inherently conceptual. It is because ever since we were young we are taught first about basic terms and its definitions. We did not go directly into solving without knowing the numbers the symbols and what are operations for. We dwelt on concept first before solving. Second, it builds foundation of knowledge for it influences critical thinking and can be used to derive new knowledge. Concepts are concepts and some of these concepts may be the key to making new concepts. Not just that, we need concepts in order to know what to solve and what is the use of our results. We did not solve for nothing. We arrive to answers because these answers have meaning. Even if we know, how to solve a problem it would still be useless if we do not know why we are doing it or what is the significance of our answers. Third, it can be associated with other concepts or other fields. An example is the field of Geometry where we use the concepts of Algebra and at the same time we make use of concepts in proving. In proving, we don’t necessarily use solving. Last, it removes dependency on ready-made solutions so as a result the students depend on memorization.

As for our video presentation, we discussed Consumer Mathematics. I played the part of Doris Bigornia who had a friend, Kuya Kim, who helped the student on his financial problem. The student was having a problem on his money because it was enough to pay for the tuition. He cannot think of something to make the amount bigger. With my help, I referred him to my friend, Kuya Kim, who told him to borrow from the bank. Kuya Kim has also explained him the interest rate and how much is he going to pay per month. With he money he had borrowed, he started a small business of soap making anf from it he was able to make a profit.

Overall, I realize that Algebra is bigger than what I have imagined it was. It was like I’ve got a taste of my own medicine because I fought for Conceptual method during our debate but before I just kept on solving and solving without knowing the concept. It was like; as long as I can arrive to a correct answer it would be okay. However, it dawned to me that the reason why I never learned was because I am not learning the concept. I also realized that Algebra is not just about As, Bs and operation. There is much more to it. It also branches to other fields such as Physics and Geometry and we sometimes did not observe it. Finally, though I was on conceptual side during the debate, I believe that operational and conceptual method cannot stand alone. They exist together with the other. For one to fully understand Algebra, conceptual method alone is insufficient consequently operational method alone is insufficient. These two go together as a team to relay the science of Algebra.

Not So Behind The Scenes: A Written Report

Truthfully, I thought that we wouldn’t be doing any more algebra after finishing those required Math subjects during the first year of college. Most of us may have not-so-fond memories of algebra, mostly characterized by red marks and those “study more” or “work harder” warnings. However, I am proud to say that our “presentation” wasn’t like that…probably. Instead of doing the boring way of teaching algebraic concepts the report, as instructed was done in a creative and hopefully enjoyable way.

The ALGEBRA group planned to incorporate games, an informal debate, a video presentation and more games in the span of two 1 ½ hour meetings. The planning and preparation for these activities were, of course, a pain in the a**… but I think it was worth it. Hopefully our hard work helped “enlighten” our audience.

(Almost forgot about that diary-like format thing)

February 5, 2014 – Game Day

                The meeting started off with a continuation of the polygon “invention” thing. To ensure that we had enough time to prepare we reported out “invention” as soon as possible. After that most of our members left to prepare their stations while two of us stayed behind to give instructions to the participants (as if they don’t know how an amazing race works). The amazing race included 6 stations manned by (1) Nykka Sara, (2) Sharmaine Lacanaria, (3) Zam Zailon, (4) Karen Carigo, (5) Jaina Jabel, (6) Marielle Cuanan; and a pit stop by yours truly. Specifics about the individual games will be within my groupmates’ written reports (though I am sure that they were all related to algebra). My part was supposed to be a mobile or hidden pit stop, but due to an unexpected need to safeguard everyone’s belongings I just sat inside the classroom… yup, my job was to sit and wait while everyone had fun with their games. The group that arrived first was Computers followed by Number Systems, Geometry then Statistics.

             “We” then proceeded to tally the scores of the participants as they left. The overall score would comprised of 80% from the sum 6 game scores and 20% from the placement score. I think it is extremely boring to narrate computations and such so I’ll just provide a table:

Stations	Groups
	Statistics	Number Systems	Geometry	Computer
1	8	5	6	6
2	10	10	10	10
3	8	10	5	7
4	8	10	10	10
5	5	5	9	5
6	10	10	10	10
Total (Max: 55)	49	50	50	48
80%	71.27	72.73	72.73	69.82
Pit stop (Max: 20)	5	15	10	20
20%	5	15	10	20
TOTAL	76.27	87.73	82.73	89.82
RANKING	4	2	3	1

And again… Computers won (announced the next day)

February 7, 2014 – Everything Else Day

The first activity was the informal debate, which are usually boring, so we did everything we could to “liven” it up… though that has its limits if your debate is about algebra. The only thing we could do was make it more argumentative via scripted impromptu-like interjections. The debate specifically focused on the question: “Which mathematical perspective should be prioritized in secondary to college level education: the operational or the conceptual approach?”.

The initial votes were taken after a brief introduction, 8 for conceptual and 7 for operational. It started with the placement of foundational knowledge and enumeration of the main points for both sides by their respective PMs. Our side emphasized simplicity, practicality and uniformity. I was the deputy for the government side, responsible for the rebuttal against the opposing PM and the defense for my PM. I mainly talked about how operational math has led to advances in other fields such as physics, chemistry  and engineering through the integration of mathematical equations from separate fields. I especially enjoyed the “I respectfully disagree” statement. The opposition countered with the belief that math is inherently conceptual, general, transposable and independent of equations or formulae. The audience seemed to relate to the topic, their reactions and quiet discussion could easily be noticed, especially during the “heated argument”. In the end, we lost with 1 against 13 votes.

After the debate was a  ~10 min video presentation. The making of which was very difficult due to conflicts in schedule and the overall embarrassment of making a parody video. I characterized the video as a “dramatic” comedy since it is a parody of a somewhat serious show but with the addition of consumers’ mathematics and a little bit of our own biology-yness (as in the course not the subject). I played the role of myself as the poor depressed… um… participant? Zam was Kuya Kim, Nykka was Doris Bigornia, Karen was the bank person and the scientist was Jaina.

The story starts with Doris’ introduction then meeting with me, followed by Kuya Kims’ intervention. Kuya Kim helped me apply for a bank loan  for capital for a soap-making business, also suggested by Kuya Kim. With the help of ascientist and random specimens from the zoo lab, “Kalapati Whitening Soap” was made (parody of Dove). Funny Testimonies and an advertisement were also shown (mainly cameos). The student was eventually able to pay his loan and tuition. The film prioritized making the concepts of income, interest and capital relatable to the viewers.

To finish the time, we had a pass the message variant using equations. The equations were mainly factorization and simplification problems. This time Geometry won with 3 points followed by Number Systems, Computers then Statistics.

February 14, 2014 (4am) – Deadline

Thinking back, it was actually enjoyable to do those high school-like activities. Though it took a lot of effort it wasn’t as stressful as normal college work. I even learned new things especially during the debate. I didn’t even know about the battle between operational and conceptual perspectives, I just took it for granted. Who would’ve thought that people actually fought about things like this? But during the debate I realized that the argument really had a point… until now I’m still having an internal debate on which is better. I also have a better appreciation about the mathematics of banking. I tried researching to get a more accurate depiction for the video, but I failed. It was difficult to actually apply bank technicalities to basic scenarios. I barely understood it, so applying it was out of the question.

To Conclude… YES! TAPOS NA!

Relationships and Quantification of the X: A Written Report

            When the Arabs discovered the concept of algebra, its applications have encompassed almost all fields in the sciences. This innovation has led to identify the unknown in terms of quantity. Algebra can be a “pain in the a**” but its contributions have played a significant role in uplifting and understanding the dynamics of life. Being equipped with the basic concepts, our group decided to adopt “Algebra” as a group. Algebra means “reunion of broken parts” in Arabic. We were fascinated to know the unknown; similar to a puzzle that needs to be deciphered and decoded.

            The wonders of algebra does not stop in the mathematical realms. Equations such as the Newtonian Laws of motion make use of algebra. Also, the academe, technology, politics, economics, health policies, aviation, research, engineering have incorporated the basic concepts of algebra in understanding one’s realm of expertise.

            Last week, the group took the turn to report about the wonders of algebra. It was a long process – a journey in exploring into the deep trenches of this topic. A class presentation which will last for a week was prepared by group two. The algebra group has decided to follow this time schedule:

Table 1. Time table of activities for the Algebra group.

Date	Activity/Event
February 5, 2014 (Wednesday)	·         Outdoor game activity -       Amazing Race
February 7, 2014 (Friday)	·         Group debate -       Conceptual vs. Operational ·         Video presentation -       Muchacha ng Masa (10 minutes) ·         Indoor game activity -       Pass the equation

            This time table of activities has been approved by our instructor, Ma’am Cielo Fe C. Blasing. Prior to the activities, the group performed a series of tapings for the video presentation from February 3 up to February 4, 2014. The group also met at the common available time to talk about the debate and the strong points needed to be discussed. The games were assigned to each member and it is the member’s decision and discretion on how to facilitate the game that they had thought about. Together with Maye and Karen, we edited the video which will be presented to the class.

February 5, 2014 (Wednesday) – 1^st Day

            The continuation of last meeting’s activity has commenced where we will sell our products (based on polygons) to the class. We advertised the “Labby Reppy” to the class and after a while, the group headed to their designated stations. Here are the stations of each group member: Station 1 – Nykka Sara; Station 2 – Sharmaine Lacanaria; Station 3 – Zam Zailon (yours truly); Station 4 – Karen Carigo; Station 5 – Jaina Jabel; Station 6 – Marielle Cuanan; and pit stop – Zeul Lim.

            Station 3 was named as “Find your X.” In this station, a group of equations was given. The players need to find the value of x and pair them to their respective equation. The other groups need to finish this activity within 90 seconds. If the players don’t finish the game within the time allotted, they faced the consequence by imitating any commercial seen on TV. Three groups have managed to finish the game within 90 seconds: Number Systems, Statistics, and Geometry. Meanwhile, the Computers group had to face the consequences by imitating the commercial of Palmolive (haha).

            After the game, the scores were tallied. 20 points will be accumulated if the group placed first, 15 points for second, 10 for third, and the last group will receive 5 points. The twist in reaching in the pit stop is that Kuya Zeul is not staying in a single place, making him difficult to look for. Here are our criteria for deciding the winner:

80% - Game points accumulated

20% - Place in the pit stop

Table 2. Tally Scores for the four groups in the Outdoor Activities.

Station	Highest Possible Score	Groups
		Statistics	Number Systems	Geometry	Computers
1	10	8	5	6	6
2	10	10	10	10	10
3	10	8	10	9	7
4	10	8	10	10	10
5	5	5	5	5	5
6	10	10	10	10	10
Total	55	49	50	50	48
80%		71.27	72.73	72.73	69.82
Pit stop	20	5	15	10	20
20%		5	15	10	20
TOTAL POINTS		76.27	87.73	82.73	89.82
RANKING		4	2	3	1

            In the end, the Computers group plummeted once again to first place, followed by Number Systems, Geometry, and Statistics respectively.

February 7, 2014 (Friday) – 2^nd Day

            The weather during that day was gloomy. Yet, we did not consider this as a hindrance to give our best in the last day. The highlights of that day were the debate, video presentation, and an indoor game.

            We started the class with a debate focusing on the topic “Which mathematical perspective should be prioritized in secondary to college level education: the operational approach or the conceptual approach?” This debate is a very interesting one since we only focus on solving and solving, not knowing which approach is the most appropriate to use. Both approaches have significant importance in revolutionizing algebra. Thus, we were walking beyond our comfort zone.

            The initial votes after the parameters were tallied. Results show that there is a slight leaning towards the conceptual team having 8 points. Meanwhile, the government’s side, the operational team have 7 seven votes. At the initial stage, the audience was divided on the concepts.  

            I, myself, was the prime minister of the government’s side, strongly supporting the operational approach. Our team strongly believes in this way of learning. We emphasized that the operational approach is more simple and practical. Also, we strongly stressed how operational approach has led into developing other fields such as physics, engineering, and aviation. As a whole, the point is that it is universal.The conceptual team dwelled on four arguments. They strongly believe that mathematics is “inherently conceptual;” a stepping stone to formulate knowledge; general and can be applied to other disciplines; and removal of dependency on equations and formula.

            Meanwhile, the audience was observed talking among themselves, discussing the topic and reflecting on the points that have been introduced. We were able to attract the attention of the audience, especially when Zeul and Nykka almost reached on a heated argument. In the end, the audience gave the trophy to the conceptual group, with a 13-1 vote.

            After a long heated debate, the group showed the 10-minute presentation to the class. The genre is a comedy-mockumentary and applying the concept of consumerism mathematics. I played the role of Kuya Kim, Nykka Sara as Doris Bigornia, and a student with a problem on his enrollment was played by Zeul Lim. The story started when Doris approach the troubled student then called Kuya Kim to help with the problem. Kuya Kim initially helped the student by applying a loan scheme in the bank with a 3.5% annual interest. Kuya Kim also suggested to establish a soap-making business to fund his studies. Kuya Kim then visits a laboratory known for making soaps. The scientist, played by Jaina Jabel, made soap and Kuya Kim named it as “Kalapati Whitening Soap,” a parody of the Dove Soap. After a year, the troubled student was able to pay his loans together with the interest. Gross income, interest, and budgeting were also emphasized on the film. Sharmaine Lacanaria played a parody commercial, mainly advertising the Kalapati Whitening Soap; Maye Cuanan went to the consumers and asked the thoughts of the consumers about the soap; and Karen Carigo played as the accountant from the bank where Kuya Kim and the troubled student applied for loan. The film was observed to have been likened by the audience as they express laughter and delightment. We were able to play our roles well in spite of the tight schedule we have.

            The last leg of our schedule was an indoor game. The game was known as “Pass the Message.” Similar to the game “Find Your X,” equations will be given to the first people who were in line. The first person will pass the equation to the next person until it reaches to the last person where he/she will solve the equation and go back to the host, giving the final answer. The first two questions worth 1 point where the Computers group was able to get the answer correct. The succeeding questions were equivalent to two points. As a summary, in a series of twists, the Geometry group emerged as the winner:

1.     Geometry – 3 points

2.     Number Systems – 2 points

3.     Computers – 1 point

4.     Statistics – 0 points

After the activities, a sudden realization has struck my mind. I will miss the bonding that we have shared with my groupmates. Hard work and team cooperation has been there all along. Also, algebra became fun and meaningful. I hope we may have suppressed the fear of others with the “X” and numbers.