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Instructor Introduction
Hello! My name is Matthew Ridge. I’ve been teaching at PCC since Fall of 2014 at the Cascade Campus, and before that I was a part-time instructor at Portland State University. I decided to join the team at PCC because it has been a career goal for me to teach at the Community College Level, and because PCC is a great institution for education. I’ve taught a large variety of classes ranging from MTH 60 all the way up to MTH 253.
A little bit of my history with mathematics. As a child I enjoyed the topic of mathematics so much so that in elementary school I began competing in math competitions around the state. Though I wasn’t quite as good as my peers at the subject to place at any of these competitions, it was still a fun experience that engaged me in a topic I enjoyed. And though I enjoyed mathematics, my primary focus (for as long as I can remember) has always been creative writing. My first college degree was focused on creative writing and English literature. I never pursued writing as a career and following my first college degree, I received my second college degree (AAS) in Mechanical Engineering Technologies. Before I graduated with my second degree I was hired by a local Engineering firm as a Structural Draftsman, a career that lasted until the economic collapse of 2008 which ended my career and many like it. It was at that time I was gifted an opportunity to return to college (again). The third time around I decided I wanted to earn my MLIS (Masters in Library and Information Sciences) but first I had to complete an undergraduate degree to get into the program. I enrolled at PSU to pursue my undergraduate degree in mathematics and in the process discovered that I have a passion for teaching. Abandoning the path to earn the MLIS, I continued to take classes at PSU until I had my MS in Mathematics for Teachers, and here I am.
Outside of teaching, my wife and I have a 3-year-old daughter named Kayla. When we are not working on home improvements we are gaming, reading or playing with our two cats Ripley and Dax. We like to camp and fish in the Summertime as well as travel around the PNW visiting family and friends.
Teaching Philosophy
As an educator, I see myself as a guide through knowledge. I provide opportunities for each unique learner to explore the paths through understanding with activities or discussion as a class, a small group, or as an individual. I like to facilitate this exploration with predetermined as well as spontaneous activities, adapting to the needs of each classroom. As their guide, I can show the student a path and assist them in the challenges that they face, but I will not choose what path they walk, nor will I walk the path for them. From this, the student will learn that a mistake made is an opportunity to learn something about themselves, and/or about the subject being explored. My hopes are that this will build intuition and confidence that will guide them both inside and beyond the classroom.
The student, as the explorer, must have the initiative and courage to step through the journey of understanding. The student must be prepared to face a challenge in which they are unfamiliar with. For that reason, the student should anticipate questions designed to develop understanding through exploration in discussion, the generation of interactive geometric models, and abstract and applied interpretation of the material; each representing an accepted interpretation of mathematics. Though this experience is often met initially with frustration or exasperation, the reward of knowledge often creates a positive experience for the student from which they can later draw on.
To explore the paths through knowledge is to take chances, and taking chances is not without error. For that matter the student should anticipate an environment where it is acceptable to make a mistake, without mockery or shame. A mistake made is a new opportunity to explore the ideas further. Understanding the source of error can lead to a deep understanding of the material or about oneself. Understanding the source of an error can also be used to build community within the classroom when students realize they are not alone in their line of reasoning, or by developing the theory to arrive at a result together. Such a source of understanding should be celebrated and shared among peers to further the understanding collectively. Whether that source be shared by the student or myself is irrelevant if the knowledge is disseminated.
As the guide, I take chances to push the student understanding to greater lengths. I lead the students off the beaten path to areas unknown, yet relevant, if the class desires to go there. Sometimes I may lead the students off the beaten path regardless if the class wants to go there, should the situation deem it necessary. The development of understanding does not need to be linear. It can help to deviate from the ‘expected’ methods to get a better idea of why a certain method is perceived as an optimal approach. For that reason, the same question may be asked multiple times, from different approaches, or with different starting information, to challenge the norm of the ‘traditional’ method. Additionally, a student can expect to dip into the world of the abstract to see the generalized patterns that evolve in our natural world, and to see these consistencies written in a symbolic fashion.
Math exploration is not a competition. Often many will excuse their “inability” to do mathematics by saying that they have never been a “math person” or “good at math”. To create a standard for which these phrases are defined is to compare oneself to others. Part of understanding mathematics is self-discovery, of how one can learn the mathematics from the teachers’ perspective as well as the students. To explore mathematics is to discover a student’s path to understanding and no two paths are exactly the same. And no path is of greater value than another.
Education
Master of Science in Mathematics for Teachers (2017) – Portland State University
- Master’s Thesis topic on the exploration of Taylor and Maclaurin Polynomials and Series using GeoGebra Book
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (2012) – Portland State University
Associate in Applied Science (2005) – Bellingham Technical College
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
Associate in Arts and Sciences (2003) – Whatcom Community College
- Focus in English Literature and English Composition