What do mathematicians do?#
See also: teaching-mathematics, what-is-mathematics
No one definition#
In passing, Dan Meyer argues that there isn't one agreed upon definition of mathematics.
They’re all arbitrary, personal, and cultural. And given finite hours in a school year to spend learning math, they’re all political. They create winners and losers. Class time spent how you’d prefer is time not spent how someone else prefers.
Improve the product not the poster#
In this blog post Dan Meyer responds to a perspective that suggests mathematics should be more relevant to students "in important, sociological ways". The mathematical example used is Thales' Theorem. Meyer's response is to change how students are engaged with the idea. Using an approach that helps put students in Thales' shoes to act as a mathematician. Possibly seen as moving away from explicit-teaching when narrowly defined.
Becoming the math teacher you wish you'd had#
Book uses the following chapters as one possible answer
- Mathematicians take risks
- Mathematicians make mistakes
- Mathematicians are precise
- Mathematicians rise to a challenge
- Mathematicians ask questions
- Mathematicians connect ideas
- Mathematicians use intuition
- Mathematicians reason
- Mathematicians prove
- Mathematicians work together and alone