Talking about Maths Education

As I early wrote, in those last days before holiday time, I am sharing some simple ideas, suggestions or digital resources for teachers.

Mathematics curriculum is one of the most difficult to students in school. Virtually everyone 'hates' maths. Students feel incapable or incompetent in maths.

So, teachers are experiencing new ways to captivate the attention and interest for the discipline and helping make learning maths engaging for their students! A great number is using games in maths class. 

Here three videos about teaching Maths in different school levels or contexts:

Credits video: Edutopia

The first one, a teacher teaches Maths as a social activity. It is in Anchorage, Alaska. The master teacher established a cooperative-learning environment in an upper-elementary classroom. 

The second one, at University of Washington | Bothell, students work with a professor to develop a teaching tool for Mathematics by using the Microsoft Kinect. 

Credits video: David Ryder Pictures

Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect gets students’ whole body—and attention—into learning fun. Students use their arms as the hands on a technological resource that seems like a game.

The last one, Dan Meyer on TED Talks asks, "How can we design the ideal learning experience for students?" 

Credits video: TED videos

"Dan Meyer is a full-time high-school math teacher, his perspective on curriculum design, teacher education and teacher retention is informed by tech trends and online discourse as much as front-line experience with students."

Meyer has spun off his enlightening message - that teachers be less  "be less helpful" and push their students to formulate the steps to solve math problems -- into a nationwide tour-of-duty on the speaking circuit.

The debate between abstract and contextualized, “pure” or “applied” math belie the real problem: one that Dan Meyer makes so clear in this TED Talk: students simply aren’t engaged. 

And what about girls in maths curriculum? A study by University of Toronto researchers, published in the journal Psychological Science founds  "that playing an action video game can virtually eliminate this gender difference in spatial attention and simultaneously decrease the gender disparity in mental rotation ability, a higher-level process in spatial cognition."

Conclusion:

Games are a great resource for every school curriculum. The educational benefits of digital games to a 'digital generation' is quite proved.

Teachers must not be afraid to introduce games in the classroom. But before, they must learn  how to use them as educational and motivational resources.


"We’re no longer intimidated by math, because we’re slowly redefining what math is.”

Dan Meyer

G-Souto

29.07.2017

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® 


Talking about Maths Education by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Education : About storytelling and teaching ?

Brave

Pixar

https://www.pixar.com/

Wall-E

Pixar/ Andrew Stanton

http://www.pixar.com/

Andrew Stanton has made us laugh and cry. The writer behind the three "Toy Story" movies and the writer/director of "WALL-E," as well of the new film, John Carter.

I wrote about Andrew Stanton on 25 Years of Pixar in the classroom. I have a fascination by the magic work of this man!

Watch the video below, posted on TEDTalks website March 2012: The clues to a great story.

Education:

Andrew Stanton talk is so inspirational, don't you think ? Well, it would be impossible not to share it with you. Inspirational in many ways!

And what is teaching? A wonderful storytelling that could be defined by this sentence:

"The greatest story commandment is: Make me care.”

Andrew Stanton

G-Souto

19.04.2012
Copyright © 2012G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Education : About storytelling and teaching? by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Credits: video TEDTalks

The Value of Solidarity between Generations

http://ec.europa.eu

2012 is the "European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations". A chance for all of us to reflect on how Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before, and to realise the opportunities that represents.

Active ageing can give the baby-boom generation and tomorrow's older adults the opportunity to:

• stay in the workforce and share their experience
• keep playing an active role in society
• live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible.

It is also key to maintaining solidarity between generations in societies with rapidly increasing numbers of older people.

"The challenge for politicians and stakeholders will be to improve opportunities for active ageing in general and for living independently, acting in areas as diverse as employment, health care, social services, adult learning, volunteering, housing, IT services or transport.

The European Year seeks to raise awareness of the issues and the best ways of dealing with them. But most of all it seeks to encourage all policymakers and stakeholders to set themselves goals and take action to meet them. 2012 should go beyond debating; it should start bringing tangible results."

http://europa.eu

But if you are worried about growing older, or about your place in society when you're 60, 70 or 80, please watch and listen Jane Fonda (74 years old) at TEDxWomen.

Jane Fonda has had three extraordinary careers: an Oscar-winning actor, author, producer, a prominent activist and a best-selling fitness guru.

"Within this generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology." 

At TEDxWomen, Jane Fonda asks how we can think about this new phase of our lives. Watch the video below:

Like she said: Age has potential. So, what we can do? How to use it?

There is a lot to life after 60 - and society is coming increasingly to appreciate the contribution older people can make. That’s what active ageing is about - getting more out of life as you grow older, not less, whether at work, at home or in the community.

So, as teachers, stay in the workforce and share your expertise with  others. Keep playing an active role in society by teaching in schools, or tutoring and e-tutoring for lilfelong learners (younger school teachers), even practising adult learning by volunteering.

Active ageing is also a determining factor for maintaining solidarity between generations in society. Senior citizens have much to offer younger generations – and the other way round.

In my post Olive: some values in school curriculuim I could share with you a disruptive educational resource. I used a film to talk about solidariity. 

Olive, a little girl that gone into the lives of three people - an old lonely woman, a foreigner having a hard time acclimating in the United States,and an obese man - and transformed their lives without saying a word.

It is important to introduce solidarity between generations. It was a awesome experience to all.

Another post, Multi-tasking? Not only for digital natives! You watched how senior citizens are multi-tasking and active as younger people.

http://www.eyv2011.eu

The "2012 European Year of Active Ageing and the Solidarity Between Generations" will serve  for disseminating good practices and important values. Solidarity, participation in society are among them.

A big number of younger citizens are being volunteering to support senior citizens, in areas as diverse as employment, health care, social services, adult learning, volunteering, IT skills.

Active ageing is not just about employment. Around one quarter of Europeans (including those over 55) say they are also engaged in voluntary work. 

"Being volunteer based, volunteer led and representing millions of citizens engaged in voluntary activities every day."

All the European countries are preparing several initiatives. Please, find the initiatives in your country here

http://europa.eu/ey2012/

Do you have some ideas and suggestions for the "European Year Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations"? Please, go on the website.


I wish you a fulfilling, healthy and active year 2012! 

G-Souto 

16.01.2012
Copyright © 2011G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com

The Value of Solidarity between Generations by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

References:

European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations
http://europa.eu/ey2012/

EU - graphic guide lines

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/empl_portal/EY2012/EY2012_logo/EY2012_Graphic_guidelines.pdf

Age Platform Europe
http://www.age-platform.eu/en

European Youth Forum | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanYouthForum

TEDx | Jane Fonda: Life 3th act

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jane_fonda_life_s_third_act.html