In the past, I often heard that a student had many problems with their Functions Worksheet when attempting to use it in an actual class. They would have trouble getting to the second line or missing words and other problems. It seems like they would be able to use the Worksheet in real class but, when applying it in practice, it was not very effective.
What had been happening was that students would apply the Worksheet to problems and would get overwhelmed. The Worksheet could not handle the amount of information that the student wanted to have on it and then get it done. If this problem is not addressed, it can cause a teacher to discourage the student from using the Worksheet altogether. That is a problem for the teacher and the student.
Another way people tend to forget about the Worksheet is that they fail to make notes about what they think is wrong with it. This can be a major problem. You cannot test if something is working until you write down your ideas about it. You can not learn how to do something unless you have some idea of why it is working or not.
What was happening with my student was that he was doing his Worksheet on his own without using the teacher as a reference. At one point he wrote down that the Function Worksheet did not always open correctly. He then proceeded to say that the time had come to bring the Worksheet up to date and bring his grades down. After his evaluation, I saw that the Worksheet did not have the words correct and that it was getting worse by the day.
Now, I am not trying to tell you that the Function Worksheet does not need to be updated. I am just saying that this student was not helping himself by not trying to find out why it was not working. When the Worksheet was not working, he should have known that something was wrong and not ignored it. He should have asked for help and got it.
When writing their Worksheets, students should always write down their notes about the Function Worksheet. This way, when they are using it in class, they can compare what they have written to the actual worksheet and make sure that it is correct.
Another problem is that students are taught to check the word problems and answers in Worksheets but, when using the Worksheet as a tutorial, they neglect to check the word problems and answers. Many times students will leave a Worksheet in their hand and not read it. When this happens, it is a sign that they are not learning because they are not having any contact with the source material.
When reviewing the Worksheet with the entire class, students should make sure that they check all the word problems and answer as well. They should also look over the Worksheet when discussing what they learned with the class. With these few simple changes, the Student Worksheet can be making much more effective and can be more fun.
