EDM613 - WK 2 Reading - Measurement and Survival
Hearing the TED talk and reading these first four chapters was quite eye opening. The hardest idea for me to hear was that of the "universe of possibility". Being a mathematics teacher makes measuring the world around me the natural thing to do. I am constantly concerned with understanding the world around me, so measuring things, people and resources is my daily habit. The challenging thing for me in this aspect is to realize that infinity can be more than a concept and can speak to the revolving nature that giving produces. I give to you and you give to me, and on and on and on. We are both taken care of and do not need to fight against each other for survival.
Another difficulty in changing my mindset to one of infinite possibilities is that my students are usually in survival mode. The thought I had while reading this chapter was that it must be easier for those who do not have to worry about their basic needs to move into such a thought process. But once again I fall into the world that has limitations.
Spencer-
ReplyDeleteI can totally see your point of view in being a math teacher and seeing things that always have to be measured. I struggle with this always. I truly enjoyed this read, and totally understood all that it was talking about, opening up to a world without measures and being creative, but I struggle with this as I am also equally logical in my thinking.
When I see all the possibilities out there and all the many ways things can be done, my logical side kicks in and begins to set parameters and measurables on all my ideas and why they could or couldn't work. So, I can feel your pain about having those limits...or at least half the time. ;)
Week 2 MAC Comment 1
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that most of the time our students are in the survival mode. I feel that many teachers are in a survival mode as well with all of the changes that are going on in education the states. However, I have to admit,
that I have been through so many life altering changes in my life over the past three years, that I found survival is going through the motions of living. Picking the battles to walk away from and finding the opportunity to laugh and enjoy what I have has made my understanding of the book a little easier.
Spencer I do agree with you. I am a math teacher as well and I deal with limits and boundaries on a regular basis as well. Adapting to this creativity is not only challenging, but with effort and practice, this can be accomplished. Many of our math students that struggle in math are our most creative students. Especially our math students that are fantastic artists, their thought process have no limits and they are our thinkers that think outside of the box unlike traditional thinkers.
ReplyDelete