How can an examination of language and the body help us learn about math education?
Math itself is a language, involving a lot of terms (the meaning of words) different from ordinary English, such as product, difference, diagonal, multiplication, etc. Students need to develop a language register based on which they can express mathematics. Word problem solving is a very significant part in mathematics education. The high quality of interpreting and solving word problems is closely related to language, involving semantic and syntactic interpretation. The failure of understanding the semantic and syntactic aspects of word problems accurately will definitely baffle students to go through the whole interpretation and solution. Meanwhile, math can be embodied by many different ways, such as gestures, genres, signs,body-movement.
Math itself is a language, involving a lot of terms (the meaning of words) different from ordinary English, such as product, difference, diagonal, multiplication, etc. Students need to develop a language register based on which they can express mathematics. Word problem solving is a very significant part in mathematics education. The high quality of interpreting and solving word problems is closely related to language, involving semantic and syntactic interpretation. The failure of understanding the semantic and syntactic aspects of word problems accurately will definitely baffle students to go through the whole interpretation and solution. Meanwhile, math can be embodied by many different ways, such as gestures, genres, signs,body-movement.
For teachers, the examination of language and the body can help us improve our math teaching and make math teaching more dynamic and meaningful. For students,we need to let them know that math is not a mechanical and boring subject. Let me still take word problem solving as an example. The examination of the use of language in word problems allows me to reflect: "What words and sentence structures are difficult to students and why?";"If the words used in word problems are clear for students to understand and interpret without any linguistic ambiguity and confusion?" , and etc.Therefore, I can focus more on these points when I design the word problems myself later.Moreover, the examination of language in math education can help me set up a sound mathematical register particulary for my teaching by which I can convey the mathematics explicitly. The investigation of the embodied mathematics offers me with new insights into teaching methodology,focusing more on using the visual tools, class activities involving body-movement and gestures, and other methods that include sensory perception, to not only enrich math teaching and learning but also enhance students' understanding of mathematics.
1 comment:
Julia --
You've written an excellent blog/ freewrite that captures many of the main themes of our course.
I like your emphasis on the mathematics register, and the way you have extended this idea from language itself to bodily ways of communicating, learning and knowing.
Interesting ideas too about word problems and students' difficulties with them. I agree that it's important to let students know that math is not mechanical or boring! Getting away from a very mechanical approach to mathematical language is one important step towards a more meaningful study of mathematics.
You might want to give more consideration to the idea of ambiguity in mathematical symbolism and language. I would contend that certain kinds of ambiguity are actually desirable in math education, giving multiple meanings to certain symbols (like the fraction bar) or words (like "multiply") in a way that enriches and deepens conceptual understanding.
Thanks for a great blog and for all your good work in the course!
Susan
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