Developing a sense ethnomathematics in the classroom.

In my last blog I questioned if to teach with ethnomathematics was all about making personal connections with maths…….and that a teacher’s job would be to ensure that students are able to do this. Reading through chapters 5 and 8 of Siemon et al. (2011) I realised that I may be on the right track……

Firstly I read that teachers should create a learning environment that connects the classroom to culture as much as possible. (I’m yet to create a list of ways to do this, but it’s in the back of my mind to consider as I continue reading – maybe some displays or posters…?!) I also read that using math ideas from a child’s home culture and experiences should occur in the classroom. I agree with this and think that having familiarities in the classroom would make students feel more comfortable. For this teachers will need to be familiar with student’s home lives and community, so they are able to build on it in the classroom. Having knowledge of a child’s culture and building relationships are something I have always seen as important in make connections with a child, however I felt this was mainly to build respect with the student and their family, but I see now that it is also important so they are able to assist students in making connections to what is being learnt.

So how do we make learning personal for students….how do we incorporate ethnomathematics in the classroom??

Preso in Siemon et al (2011, p. 87) writes that “If we are to teach the whole child, we must first attempt to know the whole child and to try to “see” as the child sees, so that we can better respect and understand their “ways of knowing” and to use this in developing the teaching and learning programs." We are warned though to remember not to generalise (such as a group of students from the same culture) as each child is an individual. This also supports the idea that knowing a child and the culture/background is important for teachers in assisting students to see how their personal lives are affected and be enhanced by maths. Siemon et al (2011, p. 155) writes that “for all learners we need to consider their experiences and opportunities” This means knowing each child, what things they are interested in and where they want to go in life. A good way of doing this is by using open-ended questions. Siemon et al (2011, p. 147) writes that open-ended questions are a good way for providing students freedom in exploring maths in ways that suit their individual needs. With open-ended questions students are also able to take control of their learning and extend themselves as much as they please.

I also learnt that it is important not think that mathematics is a universal language. Each culture has their own way of representing, describing, understanding…..As teacher we need to be aware of this and the cultures that are represented in our classrooms, so we can be informed about what our students are familiar and unfamiliar with.

To finish this post I will re-affirm what I am thinking about ethnomathematics in the classroom……It is not so much about teaching about things from each culture. Token like representations are of little use in the classroom. But building a relationship with each student and having an understanding of their home and community are of much better use. It is being inclusive of each student and their learning styles and hence their culture.

References:

Siemon, D. Beswick, K. Brady, K. Clarke, J. Faragher, R. Warren, E. (2011). Teaching Mathematics Foundation to Middle Years. Vic, Australia; Oxford University Press.