Brianna's EDUC 450 Blog

I think embodied learning is important in math classes if we want our students to actually understand the concepts on a deeper level. The way math is presented in school is often more as a series of steps you can follow to obtain the right answer. Without a deeper understanding of why this process worked and why this result is useful, the right answer is meaningless. I think there is some truth to the phrase "seeing is believing" in that it becomes much easier to understand something we can observe. This is why visual "proofs" can be useful even if they are not rigorous. They give us some intuition about why something is true. I think we probably use a certain amount of embodied learning without even realizing it. We use gestures when we speak, we use pictures and diagrams, we use real world examples. All these things help take math off of the page and into reality. Embodied ways of learning seem to be more natural for mathematics that is more concrete. As the mat

For my inquiry project,  I would like to focus on the role of movement as a teaching tool in classrooms. The classic classroom can sometimes feel like an oppressive setting and I think the ability to learn while moving around could be very freeing. I think it is really cool when teachers can get students to learn in such a way that they aren't even aware that they are doing so. I also would really like to see how my two favourite activities, math and dance, can compliment each other. I am very excited about this idea in theory and I am interested in how I could do this practically in a way that actually does enhance learning and isn't just gimmicky or trivial.

Before I entered the B.Ed program, I was very accustomed to getting assigned percentage grades for every assignment, exam, and course. Because this program mostly operates on a pass/fail system, for the first time I am being exposed to what it is like to be a student without being graded. On the one hand, I feel much less stressed about school while still feeling motivated to work hard and do well. There is less competition and less pressure to be perfect. On the other hand, sometimes I feel uncertain about whether or not the work I am turning in is actually good or just good enough to pass. Even when I receive qualitative feedback, it is much harder to interpret than quantitative feedback. I suppose my discomfort with not knowing exactly how well I am doing stems from growing up in a system focused on grades and competition. Maybe if I was more accustomed to an educational environment in which the focus was more on learning, I would feel less of a need to have my performance thoroughl

I don't know if I would use the videos in a class because I don't really like the idea that the best way to get girls interested in math is by appealing to their aesthetic interests. From my perspective, this kind of thinking is strengthening gender stereotypes rather than fighting them. It makes it seems like the only way to get girls interested in math is by presenting it in a more feminine form. We don't need to masculinize math to appeal to boys so I don't think we should need to feminize it to appeal to girls. I worry that this might create some sort of divide between "regular math" and "girl math", that this is only perpetuating the idea that math is normally only made for boys. I did like the fields medal videos. I think it can be very inspiring to see people who love math explain why they are so passionate about it. I also think it is very beneficial to expose students to a diverse set of role models as a lack of relatable role models can b

What might make you (or your students) feel welcomed or less-than-welcomed to a particular subject area or discipline in school? In making students feel welcomed, I think it is important to be inclusive in a way that does not single out those who are different. For example, in my university math classes I was often the only woman in the room. Sometimes this was explicitly pointed out by the professor who would address us as "lady and gentlemen". I appreciate that he was trying to be inclusive by not just referring to us as "guys" but instead it made me feel "othered". I felt much more welcomed in classes where the professors would just treat us as a group of students, not students who are gendered. I also think we can make students feel welcomed by the examples we use. I remember having to give a presentation on one of the Feynman lectures and in the lecture, Feynman uses an example involving having to rescue a "beautiful woman" who has fallen

I think garden-based learning is valuable on multiple levels. Being outside in the garden is such a different experience from being in a classroom. Even if the garden was not being used directly in the lesson, I think it is nice just to experience a change of scenery. In relation to math education, I think this is especially valuable for students who experience a large amount of math-related anxiety. It is hard to be anxious when you are sitting outside enjoying the sun and the fresh air. I think this type of learning would also be beneficial to the types of learners who may struggle in a classroom environment because they feel confined or restricted.  Obviously there are some restrictions to garden-based learning. Sometimes a classroom environment is a more suitable, efficient place to teach. Some lessons may benefit from the structure and access to materials/technology that are only found in the classroom. 

The thing that I found most interesting while reading this article was how the garden became a space where students could "embody their own culture" through the study of language and the environment. I thought it was really beautiful how the students were able to share aspects of their culture with each other and with the teachers and to explore how different cultures relate to the environment as a group.  I think it is becoming more and more important to talk about how different cultures have traditionally related to their environment as our society becomes more detached from the natural world. Kids are spending less time outside then ever so I think it is important that we give them the opportunities to explore these natural spaces. Learning other cultures' perspectives increases the likelihood that something will resonate with them. I think that seeing how important natural relationships are from a traditional and global standpoint really highlights how important it is