Mathematician's Lament

My husband knows I'm a maths geek.  It was he who told me about this article a few years ago, after hearing about it at work (what else would you talk about whilst building a train?)  It was the perfect gift and I eagerly wrote a blog post to share it ... then forgot to publish it.  Oops.  

I still think the Mathematician's Lament is very clever:

Lockhart's Lament

and Lockhart's Lament - The Sequel

Lockhart's Lament was published in a book in 2009, then in 2012 a second book by Lockhart, Measurement, was released ... perhaps an answer to the question of how to change the status quo.

What is it?  According to Wikipedia, "A Mathematician's Lament is a short book on the pedagogics and philosophy of mathematics by Paul Lockhart, originally a research mathematician but for many years a math teacher at a private school. Characterised as a strongly-worded opinion piece arguing for an intuitive and heuristic approach to teaching and the importance of mathematics teaching reforms, the book frames learning mathematics as an artistic and imaginative pursuit which is not reflected at all in the way the subject is taught in the American educational system."

Here's an enticing quote from page 3 of "Measurement":  

"I am going to assume that you love beautiful things and are curious to learn about them.  The only things you will need on this journey are common sense and simple human curiosity.  So relax.  Art is to be enjoyed, and this is an art book.  Math is not a race or a contest;  it's just you playing with your own imagination.  Have a wonderful time!"

I think mathematics is tremendous fun.  I thought when I aced tests in Year 7, and when I happily battled through 4 unit maths in Year 12 with six classmates who would come over to do problems that took several pages to solve.  At that stage it was mostly about 'the test', but our goofy teacher still made it seem fun.  I felt quite disillusioned a month after our final exam when I realised I had already forgotten most of those abstract concepts, but I am still glad I had that opportunity to stretch my brain.

I am revisiting the marvels of maths, thanks to my children ... with their iPads, Vi Hart videos, Escher posters and a stack of brain-tickling maths books, the sky is the limit.  I'll share a list of our favourite resources and book lists soon.

This link is worth a look ... it presents Lockhart's Lament with a cool video, 'metamorphosis of a cube'.

I will leave you with a quote from an article written by Keith Devlin (whose column featured Lockhart's Lament) ...

"In fact, in the context of this country, bedeviled by the incessant math wars and the intense politicization of mathematics education that drives them, my view is that debate about the curriculum and the educational theory that drives it is a distraction best avoided (at least for now). To me the real issue facing us is a starkly simple one: Teacher education. No matter what the curriculum, and regardless of the psychological and educational theory it is built upon, teaching comes down to one human being interacting with a number of (usually) younger, other human beings. If that teacher does not love what he or she is teaching, and does not understand it, deeply and profoundly, then the results are simply not going to come. The solution? Attract the best and the brightest to become mathematics teachers, teach them well, pay them at a level commensurate with their training, skills, and responsibilities, and provide them with opportunities for continuous professional development. Just what we do in (for example) the medical or engineering professions. It's that simple."

Comfort Zone

I have completely escaped and annihilated my comfort zone!

Just minutes ago I posted a message on our local homeschooling proboard inviting people to a group I have invented!  I CAN go a little overboard when I imagine possibilities.  But instead of a space age homeschoolers drop-in mega-centre (which i actually had a dream about), this is the Fun Brain Institute (I like the acronym).  Meeting for 3 hours once a fortnight in a local hall.  I ran it by a few friends at the park yesterday, who liked the idea, so I've put it up for comment.  Hope we get a few keen families to join us (The Mad Professor and her Apprentices).   It should be heaps of fun!

Shy?  Quiet?  Would like to be invisible?
Usually that's me, but there's another me who loves a creative outlet.  This is the ME that's only pretending to be grown up.  Life and learning are meant to be fun.  I'm excited!

I need some sleep, so I'll share more about this another time.

Vanessa
(thought it's about time to sign my name!)

P.S.  I am still sane.  This is just the 'fun' me showing through!  A bit giddy with the thrill of doing something dangerous (well not that spectacular, only telling a hundred people my idea).

Remembering 'real' school ...

I've always found teaching to be a great outlet for all kinds of creativity.  I mostly taught infants, grades 1-3, sometimes composite classes (1/2 or 2/3 ... I loved these!)  I started with casual teaching in public and private schools, followed by 2 years in an Anglican boys boarding school, then 2 years in a Christian school.  Since having children, I've done a few blocks in Christian schools, while my husband was a stay at home dad.  Now I'm glad to be a semi-retired teacher (god-willing, I'll be home for the next 12 years at least), and I love my role as a mum who teaches her own children.

When I was working, for one or two days each holiday break I'd go in and rearrange my classroom, move desks into new groups, set up a reading corner with curtains and cushions, paint window scenes related to a topic we'd be studying (windows covered in glad wrap, then painted with regular school paint).  Science centres, book displays and word walls, writing stations, computer corners, tadpoles or hermit crabs in fish tanks ... all jostled for space.  It was a lot of fun thinking of the possibilities and bringing some of them to life, sometimes with the help of a few class parents.

My school teaching days were fairly predictable, based on a timetable, school routines, bell times and subjects, assemblies etc.  Most weeks my daybook was checked by a headmaster or stage supervisor (I was once told I may NOT move the handwriting slot to a different time ... however the same boss approved many of my other wild ideas, so no hard feelings).  When I could, within the school framework I used creative license to integrate subjects into topics my students loved (like a farming unit for my Yr 2 boys, ending with an overnight excursion to a sheep station).  I set up enrichment classes for gifted students, boost groups for average students, and coached older high school teams for Tournament of Minds. 

I noticed even in the private system, that each year students were doing worse things at a younger age.  Sadly, there are media reports every day with stories of bullying, violence etc.  Other teachers in my own family have been chased with scissors, had chairs thrown at them, and younger relatives still in school have had to learn code words which mean 'get under your desk', to cope with a fellow student with violent outbursts.  My trials were thankfully more trivial, but still trying day after day ... cheeky kids, time consuming reporting systems, long hours planning and programming, and on a lighter note, being a ballerina trying to coach rugby!

 

Since we decided to homeschool our children almost 2 years ago, I have been 'deschooling' myself.  My teaching experience has given me lots of ideas, and it can be hard to choose from the huge menu of options we have on offer.  There are boundaries which I am now free to cross and baggage which I no longer need.  And although I was lucky to have some classes as small as 17, 20 and 12 students, having only 2 allows for truly personalised instruction.   Every teacher's dream, I think!

So this is kind of a 'where I came from' post.  Next I'll try and write a 'where we're heading' message, one about 'why' and 'how we might get there'!