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.