Here are some interesting general questions that arose from the discussions of our three articles this week -- and which may also relate to ideas about embodied mathematics from last week's discussion and ongoing activities:
1) Is it enough to do activities that incorporate mathematical elements? Can one be said to be 'doing math' when designing a garden or building a shed (or gesturing a graph)? What distinguishes 'doing mathematics' as an activity or pursuit? Is it necessary or helpful to introduce a context from outside the hermetic world of mathematics?
2) Does cooperative learning or group work ensure any level of equity in a classroom? Teachers recognize students working at different levels...so should group composition be homogenous or heterogenous (in terms of math skills, and/or race/class/gender, or even introvert/extravert, or other factors)? Should 'higher level' students have the task of teaching others -- sometimes or al the time? What contributes to some students being 'higher-level' in the first place?
3) What is the role of parents and other non-teacher adults in schooling? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of their involvement? How could these be managed, if at all? Does such involvement increase equity?
4) What is the role of language (L1 or additional languages) in the mathematics classroom? Are there ways beyond language of communicating mathematical relationships and patterns? Is there a role for non-dominant languages in the mathematics classroom? What might other languages contribute -- to mathematical learning, and to equity?
5) More generally, why might it be important to support equity in mathematics learning in particular, and in schooling more generally? Is any degree of equity actually achievable? How would you know if you were making progress in this area?
1) Is it enough to do activities that incorporate mathematical elements? Can one be said to be 'doing math' when designing a garden or building a shed (or gesturing a graph)? What distinguishes 'doing mathematics' as an activity or pursuit? Is it necessary or helpful to introduce a context from outside the hermetic world of mathematics?
2) Does cooperative learning or group work ensure any level of equity in a classroom? Teachers recognize students working at different levels...so should group composition be homogenous or heterogenous (in terms of math skills, and/or race/class/gender, or even introvert/extravert, or other factors)? Should 'higher level' students have the task of teaching others -- sometimes or al the time? What contributes to some students being 'higher-level' in the first place?
3) What is the role of parents and other non-teacher adults in schooling? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of their involvement? How could these be managed, if at all? Does such involvement increase equity?
4) What is the role of language (L1 or additional languages) in the mathematics classroom? Are there ways beyond language of communicating mathematical relationships and patterns? Is there a role for non-dominant languages in the mathematics classroom? What might other languages contribute -- to mathematical learning, and to equity?
5) More generally, why might it be important to support equity in mathematics learning in particular, and in schooling more generally? Is any degree of equity actually achievable? How would you know if you were making progress in this area?
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