Changing Education ParadigmsSir Ken Robinson
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AlikeDirected by Daniel Martínez Lara & Rafa Cano Méndez
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5 Principles of Extraordinary Math TeachingDan Finkel
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“Why do we have to learn this?” says a student in a typical whiney eighth grade voice. “When will we ever have to use this?” says another student in a slightly higher, but still whiney voice. My answer to these inquiries is my “Why” (Simon Sinek, 2009). It’s what drives me and is what continues to shape and change what I do in my professional career.
I teach math because I believe math is a great form of brain training, a training that enables the brain to think critically and solve complex problems, math related or not. “If you can do math, you can do anything!” I tell the students. I see math as a tool for enabling students to “Learn how to learn,” an idea deeply rooted in constructivist models of teaching.
As detailed in, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, educational institutions used to value basic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now we realize our world is changing far too fast to believe that we can teach students everything they need to know for their futures. Society now places more value on teaching students to solve novel problems in new and exciting ways. We want our students to be mindful of the problem solving methods they use, and to be able to reflect and improve upon these methods as they grow and learn.
With this exciting societal shift happening from objectivist to constructivist approaches to teaching, I can shift my thoughts to another component of why I teach math, which is that I want to prepare my students for the world of work they are entering and provide them with as many tools as possible to help them be successful in that world. Through learning to code, I have begun to question if abstract mathematics taught in isolation is truly is the best tool to accomplish the problem solving and career-related goals I have for my students. This is where my “Why” has begun to change my “What”. I now not only teach math, but also computer science. Questions I now find myself asking are:
We need to be teaching our students more than just how to be informed consumers of technology, but also how to create technology that can solve problems that range from trying to increase efficiency on a daily task to tackling greater, large scale, economic and social issues. I teach to foster the development of young minds into flexible, competent, problem solvers, ready to shape the future of the twenty-first century. While what and how I teach continue to evolve and change, I will always remain rooted in my “Why”.
As detailed in, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, educational institutions used to value basic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now we realize our world is changing far too fast to believe that we can teach students everything they need to know for their futures. Society now places more value on teaching students to solve novel problems in new and exciting ways. We want our students to be mindful of the problem solving methods they use, and to be able to reflect and improve upon these methods as they grow and learn.
With this exciting societal shift happening from objectivist to constructivist approaches to teaching, I can shift my thoughts to another component of why I teach math, which is that I want to prepare my students for the world of work they are entering and provide them with as many tools as possible to help them be successful in that world. Through learning to code, I have begun to question if abstract mathematics taught in isolation is truly is the best tool to accomplish the problem solving and career-related goals I have for my students. This is where my “Why” has begun to change my “What”. I now not only teach math, but also computer science. Questions I now find myself asking are:
- Does computer programming not offer similar critical thinking and problem solving training as mathematics?
- Does computer programming not also give students a concrete skill and tool that then can immediately be used in the world of work?
- How can computer science be integrated into mathematics curriculums to create a more relevant and engaging experience for learners?
We need to be teaching our students more than just how to be informed consumers of technology, but also how to create technology that can solve problems that range from trying to increase efficiency on a daily task to tackling greater, large scale, economic and social issues. I teach to foster the development of young minds into flexible, competent, problem solvers, ready to shape the future of the twenty-first century. While what and how I teach continue to evolve and change, I will always remain rooted in my “Why”.