Annapolis Creed - interview with Dr. Jordan B. Smith Jr.
Dr. Jordan B. Smith, Jr. was born in Saint Louis, Missouri. He attended Lexington Elementary (1964-1968) in Saint Louis, Missouri and graduated from Christian Brothers College Military Institute in 1972. Dr. Smith attended the United States Naval Academy during 1972-1976 and graduated earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1976. He is a Marine Corps Veteran (Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm) achieving a final rank of Major. He earned his Masters of Arts in Education in Secondary Teaching in 2006 and his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix in 2015. He is also currently finishing his second MA in Administration/Services Credential from the University of Phoenix as well. He has been a public school teacher for 14 years and is presently a teacher leader in the San Jacinto Unified School District in California. We have conducted an interview with him about his book Annapolis Creed.
Why did you write a book? What are your three main reasons?
• To tell my students what is possible if you can dream
• To pass on to students that everyone can have a growth mindset in mathematics and life.
Who is the key character in your story? Is this character fictional?
I am the key character and the character is non-fictional. This is a true story and only the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty.
If your book/story would be made into a movie, which movie(s) will it be like? Why and in which context?
Tuskegee Airman is similar because it is an untold story of the challenges and obstacles to overcome racial discrimination and created pathways for those to follow in the military but in the Naval Forces and not the Army.
In your opinion, what is the connection between learning math and lifetime success?
Life is a struggle and learning Math is a struggle for many. In life mistakes are part of the experience. In the study of math making mistakes are a necessary part of the experience. In life a successful person learns from their mistakes. The most successful experience many mistakes. In math making a mistake and stopping to understand why grows the brain and adds productivity to learning fostering the development of a growth mindset (Dweck 2006, Smith 2017).
More info:
Website: http://www.annapoliscreed.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/annapoliscreed
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annapoliscreed
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