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Math and Culture

Math and Culture. Math TLC Seminar March 2010. Why Math and Culture?. TLC Vision In Colorado and Wyoming partnership we will maximize K-12 student understanding of mathematics by

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Math and Culture

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  1. Math and Culture Math TLC Seminar March 2010

  2. Why Math and Culture? TLC Vision In Colorado and Wyoming partnership we will maximize K-12 student understanding of mathematicsby developing teachers and teacher-leaders with deep mathematics content knowledge that is culturally relevant and pedagogically effective, and we will enhance the culturally competent pedagogical skills of university teacher-educators at the University of Wyoming and the University of Colorado.

  3. The Map • What is culture? • How are math and culture related? • How is math embedded in culture? • How is culture embedded in math? • Now what?

  4. What is Culture? • Culture is a system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shared by a group of people. It includes customs, language, and material artifacts. These are transmitted from generation to generation, rarely with explicit instructions.

  5. Dual Perspective • Mathematics is embedded in culture. • Culture is embedded in mathematics. (Dr. Powers, personal communication)

  6. Mathematics Embedded in Culture • Ethnomathematics • Cultural elements based on mathematical constructs • Walpiri Kin System • Symmetry in quilt construction • Mathematical constructs imposed on cultural elements • Pythagorean Theorem in button construction

  7. Culture Embedded in Math • Mathematical Systems (Bishop, 1988) • All human cultures develop mathematics • All mathematical systems contain mathematical universal truths • Mathematical systems vary based on • The set of universal truths included • The representation of the mathematical ideas • The values and beliefs associated with the development, application, and learning of mathematics

  8. Model of Mathematical Systems

  9. Mathematical Universal Truths • Counting • Locating • Measuring • Designing • Playing • Explaining (Bishop, 1988)

  10. Counting and Locating

  11. Measuring and Designing

  12. Playing and Explaining

  13. Historical Development • Who had the opportunity and credibility to contribute to the development of mathematics • What areas of mathematics were more or less developed and applied • What systems of representation and communication developed • What role did mathematics play in society • How did interactions with other cultures influence the development of mathematics

  14. Culture of Mathematics R&D • Burton (1999a, 1999b, 2000) • Mathematics is a creative, exciting, meaningful endeavor • May be undergoing change; gap between perception and reality (e.g., collaborative rather than individualistic) • Mathematicians do not pass on their culture in the classroom (e.g., use intuition in their work, but do not discuss or develop it with students) • Norms for communicating mathematics are cultural developments and do not support mathematics writing that is clear, understandable and inviting.

  15. Application of Mathematics • Mathematics is not relevant in everyday life (Devlin, 2010) • It is good/bad to use mathematics to develop weapons, help the IRS, data mine for personal information, develop complex financial instruments, etc. • Quantitative literacy can be used to support social justice

  16. Culture of Learning and Teaching • Mathematics can only be learned by “smart” people • It is OK to admit weak mathematical proficiency • Mathematics induces anxiety • The purpose of learning mathematics is to learn more mathematics (Gerdes, 1988) • Mathematics is about memorizing rules and procedures that do not necessarily make sense (although they might for “smart” people)

  17. Summary • Mathematics embedded in culture • Ethnomathematics • Culture embedded in mathematics • Historical development • Culture of mathematics R&D • Applications of mathematics • Culture of teaching and learning mathematics

  18. Now What? • Content related to teachers’ profession (culture of T&L) • Ethnomathematics • To use in the classroom • To broaden the picture of who uses mathematics • Transfer of mathematics R&D culture • Collaborative exploration • Shifting the locus of authority

  19. The Issue • The culture of mathematics teaching and learning • Turns off a large number of students from all backgrounds • Does not develop people who are aware of the values and beliefs associated with the application of mathematics • Does not develop people who can make sense of and evaluate quantitative information • Does not represent mathematics as a creative human endeavor that is systematic and logical

  20. The End

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