#MTBoSYuleBlog - Building a Love for Mathematics

 

Building a Love for Mathematics

Technically, I think this topic still falls under "Something I want to Try in 2022", but it also ties back to my Math Bookshelf post, plus it's just a Sunday rambling, so take it as a combo of all of those! 

As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite places to shop is at a used bookstore.  I never know what gem I might find and it's just that "thrill of the hunt" that keeps me going!  During our Winter Break, while we were out finishing up some shopping, I talked hubby into stopping at one of our local Goodwill stores that tends to have a pretty good book / teacher section.  

One of the books I walked away with for my Math Bookshelf, was "50 Mathematical Ideas" for $1.50.  I mean - who could turn that down??

Yesterday was Christmas Day, so we loaded up the car with gifts for my in-laws and set off for their house, which is about a 30 minute drive away.  I never go anywhere without a book, so I took this book along for the ride.  I didn't make it very far though, because the Introduction caught me and I just had to share an excerpt with hubby (and now with you!).  Those few sentences took over the rest of our drive and again sparked something that I've been wanting to try.

Here's the excerpt:

"... Of course, school mathematics is a different thing, often taught with an eye to examinations.  The time pressure of school does not help either, for mathematics is a subject where there is no merit in being fast.  People need time to allow the ideas to sink in.  Some of the greatest mathematicians have been painfully slow as they strove to understand the deep concepts of their subject."

This started us on a conversation about speed in mathematical computation, but then led us to some of the topics in the book - things that aren't traditionally taught in school mathematics such as fractals and the four-color problem.  Ideas that truly show the grace and beauty of mathematics versus the dry standards that make up "school mathematics".  Now, don't get me wrong - I understand that a solid foundation is necessary for many of these ideas, but how often are we able to just let our minds wander, to be creative with mathematics, and explore what it means to be a mathematician?  Instead, we ask our students to solve a problem written by someone else that has a right answer and then we repeat that for 180 days.

I've been looking back and trying to think - when did I first learn about Pascal's Triangle?  Or the Mobius Strip?  When did I start to see math as more than a collection of procedures?  I know from previous conversations with hubby that his struggle with school math was this lack of connection.  He believed that each chapter / topic / course was this separate thing to be learned and never figured out how they related to each other.  He's a computer programmer, but he'll be the first to tell you that school math didn't make sense to him, even though he uses math and logic every day in programming.

One of the things I want to try in 2022 is to develop some way to showcase some of these non-traditional math topics.  I don't quite know how to fit it all in - do I take a day every month to do something a-typical?  Can I start an after school "math club"?  What topics should be covered?  Will this idea totally flop?  Will I have the stamina to keep it up when classroom responsibilities seem heavy?  Does something like this already exist?

Ultimately the question comes down to this... what can I do to spark mathematical curiosity in my students beyond procedures and algorithms?   How can I help them see past "school math" and into the beauty that truly is the study of mathematics?