Discrete Math - Spring Break Surprise

It is the end of Spring Break here and I wanted to clear out emails from my school's account before returning to school. As I was going through my emails, I found the following email that was sent to me on Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14-NdQwKz9w&list=LLPfubFGB-x3dvvsSLLSjBCg

This reminded me of what we were learning, I thought you might find it interesting.

Now, you first have to ask yourself, "How often has a student sent you an email about an article or video they saw related to math?" The follow-up question is, "What about during a school break that wasn't related to any assignments?"

The student that sent this email is not a "math person." In fact, the student has often spoke of their general apathy toward math since grade school. Yet, here was this email and link to the video. I am thrilled that a self-avowed non-math person would show enough interest in mathematics and the Discrete Math course to send such an email.

I think this speaks to the power of using an inquiry/problem-based approach to teaching mathematics. In traditional classes, students are taught procedures, algorithms, and rules to apply to specific problems. The cohesiveness and connectedness of mathematics is lost in the minutia of formulaic learning. Here's how to solve a one-step linear equation, now a two-step linear equation, next a linear equation with terms on both sides. And so it goes, exposure to mathematical techniques without addressing the mathematics.

Here in the United States, we are shifting to the Common Core Standards. These are meant to address some of the issues. Yet, if instructors do not embrace and adapt to the new vision, we will end up with the new standards being taught in traditional ways.

Unfortunately, I have seen curricula, such as Connected Mathematics Project, taught in a traditional way. The beauty of the mathematics and the insights that students gain through investigation and guided discovery lost, replaced with procedures without meaning or understanding.

My hope is that more teachers see the value and power of an inquiry/problem-based approach to teaching mathematics. We need students to realize that they are capable of so much more than memorizing meaningless facts and procedures to be tossed aside as soon as a lesson is over. We need to inspire students and open their eyes to the wonders of mathematics and the beauty and power that mathematics provides to understanding the world around us.

Mathematics is the window to the world; it should be opened to every student.