Entrance slip for our October 1 class: Mathematics education for sustainability

          After reading this article, I start to reflect on what is included in the curriculum for high schools. It is true that environmental science like climate change seldom mentioned in the textbook. It is obvious that the disconnection between the mathematical classroom and the real world. I feel surprised and stopped at the metaphor part that using bags of garbage for the CO2 we produce when we are driving. This powerful comparison resonated me because it compares "one type of pollution with another, one pound of carbon with one pound of trash The image of freeways piled up with garbage arouses a physical sense of disgust and is likely to open up an opportunity for a critical discussion of carbon pollution among students"(P23) I also stopped at the part emotion that emotion needs to be in science and math just like Dr. Kimmerer said at the Seminar. It is true that "if we do not feel numbers, then our emotional access to the physical phenomena they represent is much diminished"(p24) The author uses the Large Number and Chaos theory to argue the educational response to education sustainability. As a math teacher, we can give word problems or data analysis based on environmental issues like water pollution, ice melting, sea level rising, and reflect on these issues.

 Exit Slip- Sept 24th Discussion

         

          I feel delighted to participate in the seminar with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, it shifted my thinking of the relationship between science, our mother nature, and culture. I liked her using sweetgrass as a metaphor for “braiding way of knowing”.  I remember when I learned biology in school, we have never organized field trips to explore nature other than following the textbooks and a few observations in the lab using a microscope. We didn’t spend time to smell plants, touch them, or feel them, never mind the stories behind them related to culture. Now, I feel that I was learning science incompletely. I have heard some kids who live in cities don't know where our food comes from and what the stories behind it. Do we teach our kids science with emotion removed or teach them the science that lives in our lives?

           Regarding indigenous education, the book from Dr. Kimmerer, the seminar, and our discussion in the class educated me about indigenous culture, way of thinking, and beliefs. I learned the importance of an indigenized classroom curriculum. As a teacher, I have the responsibility to bring the indigenous voice to the classroom and to education.

Entrance Slip- Sep 24 for Braiding Sweetgrass

Terminology is important for all subjects including mathematics and science. However, in order to satisfy all the constraints and to be precise, it is often stated in a complicated way that the new learner or some people are not from that field would have difficulties to understand them. For example, we may never understand the terminology the doctors use for the disease if they don't explain it in a simpler way. I think it is the same for mathematic or science that as a teacher teaches the students they have never heard the terminology, I think I will explain the concept using simple language, drawing graphs, make relations to other concepts first, when the students understand the concept then I introduce the terminology. I believe this way is easier for students to accept the terminology so that their brains won't be shut off because of the complexity that the terminologies sound like. 

I really enjoyed reading this chapter from Dr. Kimmers' book. This is also the first time to learn that the indigenous language could be so rich and beautiful. I think I would like to relate the indigenous language to our mathematical language in the classrooms. Both of these languages share the characteristic of beauty, natural and complex. I can discuss with my students how naturally mathematics lives in our lives but we just neglect their beauty and richness. When we try to learn them sometime we feel it is hard to understand, but when understanding them, we can see its beauty and richness just like the indigenous language.

 Exit Slip:  To be a reflective teacher 

It is so fascinating how much multidimensional learning can benefit students in their future education. Through the video, Dr. Boaler showed the comparison of traditional learning and inquiry-based learning, I can see clearly how boring the math class could be without reflection. From our group discussion, we also shared our own experience with reflective teaching and non-reflective teaching. Interestingly, I found that with the reflective teacher even though a certain topic you may not remember after certain years but the passion of that subject the teacher transferred to will stay.  It is powerful, and I want to be this kind of teacher. I also agree that a fixed mindset is a barrier to not only learning math but also for any kind of learning. Through this class, combined with my own experience as so many years being a student and also being a candite teacher now, I have learned to reflect the questions to myself that how can I be a reflective teacher in my classroom for certain math topics. I definitely need to learn more about it.

Entrance Slip for #1 Reading of On Becoming a Reflective Teacher

 After reading this article, I feel the ideas still fresh to the current teaching situations, and I don't believe it was written 30 years ago. As a candidate teacher, I agree with the point that teachers' goals and priorities do making teachers different in terms of what they teach and how they teach. To be a reflective teacher is essential for teaching and the most important factors are openmindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness. I believe it was true 30 years ago, is true in the present, will be true 30 years later even further. In this article mentioned about teaching without reflection hit me. I think, in reality, many educators are still unreflective about their teaching, especially teaching mathematics.  It is easy for teachers to make the class a routine of doing worksheets,  solving exercise problems, and training students just like training them in a mathematical problem-solving factory. In results,  the students get out of class knowing how to do the math problems but don't know why they do it. I can also define it as dead math.

I think the class setting is different from 30 years ago and is more diverse in terms of cultures because of the increasing numbers of immigrants. There are more teaching tools are helping teachers to be reflective.  I believe reflective teaching is desirable; however, in reality, to break the trend of non-reflective, make it possible for our whole school systems still need time. It still needs more contribution to this revitalization and renewal may be from teachers and us as candidate teachers.

Exit slip#1

  After watching the video about Frank McCourt, I feel I am inspired by his braveness and humbleness. As an immigrant just like Frank, I always think speaking English with accents is a big disadvantage for a teacher, however, Frank took it as an advantage and made it a  good connection bridge between students and himself. This is fascinating and encouraging to me. Also, I totally agree with his point that as a teacher, it is not proper to teach students way beyond their ability. It will most likely discourage the students from learning that topic or even shut off their interests of that topic forever. When a teacher is teaching, it is not the time to show how knowledgeable the teacher is but to test how well the teacher can communicate with the students and guide them.