Slides

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nt9gjfx8m0j2ovu/Presentation1.pptx?dl=0

Entrance slip: Max Van Manen article

I found several useful insights in van Manen’s interesting paper. For one thing, I never thought that praising a student for his or her remarkable performance might have negative and unintended consequences. But I learned that “giving praise is not without danger. [and] it is important that teachers understand the positive as well as the possible negative consequences of praising students.” (p. 2). I become aware of the fact that untactful recognition might lead to feeling of inequality and therefore, as a teacher will try to understand the particularity of any and every situation and act accordingly and hopefully tactfully.

I also found the discussion of the frustration that novice teachers face at beginning of their carriers very informative.  “Why is it that I received top marks in my courses on educational psychology--but I did not know what to say when one of the students broke down and told me to “get lost” when I tried to help her?” (p. 9) I leaned that to overcome this problem and several other problems that a teacher encounters in classrooms, having the theoretical knowledge is not sufficient and a teacher needs to acquire, through practice, the “practical- knowing-in-action”.

“[T]eacher is so effective precisely because she can forget herself and completely absorb herself in this situation with her students.” (p. 18). I really liked this point. Once a teacher acquired whatever that is needed to be a tactful teacher, the best strategy to perform it, I think, would be to act naturally.

I also found it very useful that, although tact cannot be reduced to set of techniques, the author nevertheless suggested several creative abilities (p. 16) that are required for acting tactfully.

Entrance slip: Ancestral genres of graphs

I found one of the main claims of the paper that “mathematics as a human activity and mode of thought, intimately bound up with the physical world and human cultures” (p. 19) very reasonable and interesting. I think that one method that math teachers can use to help learning math a fun and enjoyable experience for their students is to tell them about the historical and cultural contexts in which the mathematical questions and concepts are originated.

I first stopped when I read  “Quite consistently, those students who placed the x-axis low with reference to their bodies, who kept the gestured graph “within reach,” and who described themselves as “being (in) the graph”, were the ones who had been rated by their teachers as showing in-depth understanding of mathematics.” (p. 14). I found this observation and the distinction between ‘being the graph’ and ‘seeing the graph’ very interesting. I’d like to know more about the study and look forward to reading the forthcoming paper.

Another thing that made me stop was the point that “This physical, horizontal grid, which was now thought of as extending continuously to the horizon, was intimately connected with the expansionist, colonialist program initiated in 15th century Renaissance Europe.”(p. 17). I wish this point were explained in more detail and were elaborated. I’d like to hear more about the relation between the practical use (surveying) and the value-laden evaluation of the tool used.

Lastly, I found the table at bottom of page 18 very helpful. It makes the connection argued for clear and convincing.

Annotated Bibliography

1- This book demonstrates how philosophical thinking can be used to improve children   thinking.

Lipman, M. (1980). Philosophy in the classroom. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

2- This book provides methods of teaching that improve reasoning and judgment.

Lipman, M. (2003). Thinking in education. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

3- This paper describes what makes a discussion philosophical and also presents different types of philosophical discussions that can be used in the classroom.

Lipman, M. (1996). Philosophical discussion plans and exercises, Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 16(2), 64-77.

4- This paper discusses how philosophical dialogue helps students avoid developing negative attitudes toward mathematics by forging a meaningful connection between math and everyday experience.

Fisherman, D. (2013). Philosophy and the faces of abstract mathematics, Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 37-45.

5-This paper discusses how engaging students in philosophical dialogue enhances autonomous and critical engagement with mathematical problems and a deeper understanding of concepts.

Daniel, M.F. (2013). Engaging in critical dialogue about mathematics, Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 58-68.

6-This paper explores the applicability of the philosophical approach (philosophy for children) to the teaching of mathematical concepts.

Roemischer, J. (2013). Can philosophic methods without metaphysical foundations contribute to the teaching of Mathematics? Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 25-36.

7. This paper presents an approach of using philosophical inquiry in the math classroom through modeling activities that require interpretation, questioning, and multiple approaches to solution.

 English, L. (2013). Modelling as a vehicle for philosophical inquiry in the mathematics curriculum. Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 46-57.

8- This paper shows that awareness of crucial philosophical questions that have arisen during history of mathematics is essential for teachers who intended to teach math.

Chassapis, D. (2013). The history of mathematics as scaffolding for intro­ducing prospective teachers into the philosophy of mathematics. Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 69-79.

Exit slip: long sword Locks activities

The sequence in which activities were ordered and of course the activities themselves were interesting. Once I saw the shape on the screen, I though it would be easy to me to make the eight-pointed star with stir sticks. But when I tried to do it, I found out that it was much more difficult than I expected. Watching the sword dance video after replicating the eight-pointed star made me focus on the dancers steps; it made easier to figure out how they were making those geometric shapes. Finally, learned the steps and realized how the dancers was making those geometric shapes.

Using this way of teaching, I think, helps student to appreciate the fact that actually doing something sometimes is harder than it seems when they just watch how it is done. 

Entrance slip: Three key papers

 

1.

Fisherman, D. (2013). Philosophy and the faces of abstract mathematics, Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 37-45.

This paper discusses how philosophical dialogue helps students avoid developing negative attitudes toward mathematics by forging a meaningful connection between math and everyday experience.

2.

Daniel, M.F. (2013). Engaging in critical dialogue about mathematics, Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 58-68.

This paper discusses how engaging students in philosophical dialogue enhances autonomous and critical engagement with mathematical problems and a deeper understanding of concepts.

3.

Roemischer, J. (2013). Can philosophic methods without metaphysical foundations contribute to the teaching of Mathematics? Analytic Teaching and Philosophical Praxis, 34(1), 25-36.

This paper explores the applicability of the philosophical approach (philosophy for children) to the teaching of mathematical concepts.

Entrance slip- Sarte and Hughes

On my Tuesday school visit, I was told that more than 80% of their students were doing well with their homework and were successful in their exams, but there were not really interested in what they were doing. This indicates that schools are not successful in their main task, that is, inspiring students’ learning.

In our educational system, grades are identified as a main motivator for studying and doing assignments and assessing students’ learning. However, many studies show that grades are not only unnecessary but also harmful. Alfie Kohn points out that “kids who are graded – and have been encouraged to try to improve their grades – tend to lose interest in the learning itself, avoid challenging tasks whenever possible (in order to maximize the chance of getting an A), and think less deeply than kids who aren’t graded. The problem isn’t with how we grade, nor is it limited to students who do especially well or poorly in school; it’s inherent to grading.”  It seems that the problem is not how we grade, but using grades for accountability. Also Sarte et al study indicates that teachers, by avoiding using grades as an extrinsic motivator and focusing on engaging the students in learning, can increase intrinsic motivation in students and improve their feeling of success in their learning.

What teachers need is a method of evaluation that enable them to see how well their students meet measurable objectives – a method that improves instruction for each individual student and that allows students more ways to demonstrate that they have learned the materials.