Re: precedents for education equity projects
Sarah Inkpen (sinkpen@oise.utoronto.ca)
Wed, 17 Dec 1997 20:37:06 -0500 (EST)
I have enjoyed reading the educational equity messages. I teach calculus
and in the last year or so have started to address firstly the issue of
equality vs equity especially as it applies to mathematics and science.
It was from this 'argument' I have coined a phrase--discipline equity. I
have started using many examples from art (Escher obvious choice for
transformations) music--fugues, rounds, pitch, even Jesus Christ
Superstar and Lord of the Dance. Although I feel like a nyophyte in this
area I realize that what we tend to do in the matheamtics is describe or
explain a math problem using other math terminologies or examples. Kind
of like explaining what a Spanish word means in Spanish when you can't
speak Spanish. My mantra is "Mathematics: Music for the Eyes." Next
year I hope to add sports and other disciplines.
Papert refers to constructing from previous knowledge. I am not sure why
it has taken my a quarter of a century of teaching to see the light.
If you are interested in this kind of approach I designed a virtual
environment on the web to teach visual thinking in integral calculus.
The site is in beta form still and I am not sure the sections on music,
art and a fun one on mixed media to show effects on graphs of combining
different family of curves. I used Roger Rabbit, Magritte, PDQ Bach, and
Gregory Hines amazing dancing. Have a look--http://www.holomirros.net
Sarah Inkpen
<sinkpen@oise.utoronto.ca>