Saturday, December 21, 2024

Mark and Teij's Cartesian Plane

Gosh, can I write about anything else but Teij and Mark's cartesian plane? I mean, how did they even come up with something so complex, simple and captivating in the short time Kathryn gave us. I'll say it again Susan, we really have some remarkably insightful individuals in this math cohort. 

I'll be completely honest - I was extremely nervous walking into class this Thursday. I was petrified that Kathryn was going to ask us to do some embodied movements and dance. When I first saw her I was astonished that this was the same person who wrote the article "The Butterfly Catcher". In her physical experience was extreme simplicity; simple black pants, a very nice black button-down and there was definitely some character in her blue sneakers. Simple haircut which seemed to be her natural hair colour. I was not expecting her to look the way she did and I was selfishly, pleasantly surprised to see her dress the way I dress. 

I recall during the entirety of her presentation I kept thinking how could this be the same person that wrote that article? Her words and voice was so loud in that writing but in real life her voice was soft. I saw snippets of the person I perceived her to be when she went into poses and embodied movements and I had the realization I should've known in the first place. Art transforms people. Still, I could sense that there was an air of growth, wisdom and maturity that had settled on her over the past 40 years and I so badly wanted to ask her if she herself noticed any change in herself. I didn't have the courage to ask but also, I didn't want to project my perception of who she was especially because I barely know her (technically, I don't know her at all). 

As we've been learning this entire semester, Kathryn delivered yet again more non-traditional methods in mathematics education. Math really is all around us. In the same way that we can find beauty if we truly look with the right eye, perhaps there is something similar in finding ways to teach math that is non-traditional. Perhaps giving students something completely unrelated to mathematics and asking them to draw a story or find a connection (as Kathryn did with us) is an effective way to help students help themselves learn, explore and create. 

1 comment:

  1. Fascinating to hear your impressions of Kathryn, from her writing and then from her presence in our class! I'm also really impressed by Mark and Teij's Cartesian place (and by everything that all the groups brought forward in such a short time). What an amazing group!!

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