Entrance Slip on Permitting Creativity in Science

 

 Source: http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/bavelas/

I found the article, "Permitting Creativity in Science" by Janet Beavin Bavelas, related to my journey and two-week practicum. The quote, “Anyone who has been attracted to a field probably began noticing and thinking about it long before graduate or even undergraduate training” (page 309), took me to the time when I was in the last years of high school in India. At that time, I started helping the kids who are struggling in mathematics, and I found my interest and passion for teaching mathematics and that passion takes me at this point in my life.

           Other quotes, “The reshuffling of ideas already in the field must, by definition, be limited to whatever such recombination can achieve, and the result can be at best a new permutation of old ideas” (page 309) and “If those fail, then another pair of techniques will succeed for sure” (page 312), remind me my two-week practicum experience. During my practicum, I planned to do a scavenger hunt and station activity with grade 10 math class, but when I discussed my plan with my school advisor, she told me that due to Covid, students could not move around in the classroom. Instead, drop the idea of the scavenger hunt, I altered the activity in corresponds to the situation. I used a big poster on the wall rather than the stations so that students can work on their desks. 

           Finally quote, “Our problems are caused by our efforts to deal with the problem” (page 316), resonates with my personal experience. Sometimes, when we leave to do things in a rush or hurry, then there are more chances of making mistakes. I remembered a day when we are going on vacation; I forgot my passport at home in a hurry due to last-minute packing.

 

Entrance Slip on Pedagogical Sensitivity and Teachers Practical knowing in Action by Van Manen

Source: https://www.psd.gov.sg/challenge/ideas/work-better/speak-your-mind-tactfully-and-authentically 

•  “Good teachers are intuitively aware that the daily activities of teaching and learning are conditioned by such subtle factors as the atmosphere of the school and classroom, by the relational qualities that pertain amongst students and teachers, and by the corporeal skills or embodied knowledge that teacher enact.” (Page 5) 

I agree with this quote that school and classroom environment plays an essential role in learning. I think a good teacher should able to provide a safe and inclusive atmosphere in the classroom by encouraging collaborative learning and incorporating embodied knowledge. To create an inclusive environment, a teacher should need to provide a connection between curriculum and the real world and to make students comfortable and secure; a teacher must respect the uniqueness in student’s learning styles and treat each student reasonably not equally. 

• “Reflective educators tend to be pedagogically sensitive to their students and to what and how they teach. Therefore, the idea of an unreflective type of pedagogy or teaching would really be a contradiction in terms. Reflective thinking is important not only as a tool for teaching, but also as an aim of education.” (Page 6)

This quote reminds me of the Grant and Zeichner article on reflective teacher where they explained that teachers should be open-minded, responsible, and wholehearted. I think the teacher should able to acknowledge the truth that the teacher is the learners as well who can improve their performance by examining their practices. Reflecting the lessons will help teachers to alter their strategies to engage all the students in the classroom.  

•  “tact occupies the place that theory leaves vacant.” (Page 16)

This quote made me think that incorporating tactful teaching into the classrooms will help students to build strong relations with teachers. I believe that every student can reach their potential if they are providing with fun activities and a curriculum tied to everyday life. Students will feel more connected and engaged. Sometimes changing strategies such as incorporating hands-on learning will help students to get connected.

 

Entrance Slip-on Marks, grades and their effects in schooling

 

While reading, I noticed that an article pointed out the stress and pressure of grades and percentages on students. Due to the current education system, letter grades or percentages are essential for high-level classes such as grade 11 and 12 to enrol into the universities. Sometimes, getting grades will help students to self assess during the course and will motivate students to do better in future. For example, if a student did not get a good percentage in one test or assignment, then he/ she will work hard to get good grades. But on the other side, even though a student improved his/her marks at the end of the course but the overall marks will be affected negatively.

           I think that students are more focused on letter grades rather than the learning due to high expectations from the family. Grades increase stress and pressure in the minds of students to compete with other students, and they do cheat to get good grades in the exams or tests. Another side effect of grading is that students don’t learn the concept, whereas they are more focused on memorizing the material for tests and exams.

           I haven’t experienced any math class without grades, but I think that a teacher should not rely on only grades. Still, he/she should consider other methods of assessment as well, such as project-based learning, presentations, hands-on activities and conversation with students for the formative evaluation. A teacher should consider the quality of work by the students rather than the quantity of work for assessment.

Entrance Slip for Learning Mathematics through Birch Bark Biting

 

Source: http://www.isuma.tv/aboriginal-perspectives/rosella-carney-birch-bark-biting-photos

The article “Learning Mathematics through Birch Bark Biting: Affirming Indigenous Identity” by Borden inspires me to incorporate the body as a tool in learning mathematics. I felt so disappointed that I had no experience with this learning in my high school years and during my volunteer experience. As Birch Bark Biting is an indigenous activity which reflects indigenous culture and practices in the classroom, I believe that teachers should allow students to use and share their methods of learning in their community or culture. It will help students to actively engaged in the classroom while connecting with their culture as well. It will also motivate students to respect their culture and others too.  

           The idea of “Show Me Your Math.” program in the article will help the teacher to make connections with students. Also, the teacher will able to provide a safe environment to enhance collaborative learning. The quote “Let’s Learn Together! as a way of emphasising this focus on learning together” (Page 758) reminds me of my experience when I moved to Canada and took English classes to upgrade my English. In my class, the teacher told each student to represent their culture using artifact or presentations. I remember I felt so proud that my cultural identity is acknowledged. 

Entrance slip on Mathematics for Life: Sustainable mathematics education

 I always learnt that humans are the responsible for vanishing the resources but Renert in his article “Mathematics for life: Sustainable mathematics education” pointed out that not only humans, the animals also responsible for vanishing agricultural resources. It is shocking for me to know that beef’s role in vanishing agricultural resources is 3.5 times more than chicken. I also found out that vegetarian diet helps to reduce carbon emissions. 

The second thing that stuck in my mind is the "Large numbers" section in which the author points out that emotions about large numbers can impact on the real world. The author explained that if humans have feelings about the increasing numbers and impact of these numbers on climate, only then they would put an initiative to help the environment. 

I think that teachers play an essential role in building a connection between students and nature. Teachers can encourage students to take participate in communities of action. I encounter with some experience during my volunteer, in graphing representation lesson, a teacher provided a worksheet that students need to completer, which focuses on the carbon dioxide in everyday life. And use that data to graph. She also used to run a club in which each week students go outside their classroom and clean the surroundings near the school building, and they get some bonus reward. 

Entrance Slip-on Scientific Language and the Language of animacy by Robin Wall Kimmer

 

After reading Kimmer’s article, I realize that mathematical language serves as a tool for adapting cultural diversity in the classrooms with respect. By doing this, we will able to learn some new mathematical words. The Kimmers article reflects that there is a connection between languages and our lives. As her curiosity about leaning her ancestor’s language “Puhpowee”, it reminds me of my experience about gaining knowledge about “Urdu” from my grandparents who moved from Pakistan to India in 1947. The article also explains that cultural languages have some richness vocabulary that fascinates others to explore.

When I thought of using mathematical terminology in the classroom, I need to think about the learning objectives. At the beginning of the semester or the school year, I will let students use their cultural mathematical languages. I will also post the academic mathematical terminology or mathematic notation with English meaning on the walls of the classroom so that students will get familiar with these notations and words and will motivate them to use academic mathematical language. For example, α mean alpha, β is called beta, ε stands for “in” and so on. Near the end of the semester or school year, I will make sure that students will get familiar with the mathematical vocabulary.

Reflection on "On becoming a Reflective teacher."

 

Reflecting on the article "On becoming a Reflective teacher" by Grant and Zeichner, I agree with the theme that a teacher should have three characteristics, such as open-mindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness. I believe that a teacher should accept the mistakes or questions from students and commit to teaching all the students. A teacher should be able to alter their teaching style or method according to the student's needs.

The article and my volunteer experience raised a flag to think about the notion of education and schooling. I experienced that the teaching is biased and incorporate with oneself only due to years of exposure and preferences. I used the word experienced because, during my volunteer experience, a teacher was using the same way to teach grade 9 regular math and grade 9E (Essential math class) in which the majority of students were designated. I think teachers should need to consider themselves as learners to examine their practices and improve their performances.