Math Workshop Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA July 15, 1998

Title of workshop Connecting Math to Our Lives   Names and Countries of Presenters:  Kristin Brown (U.S.A.) Enid Figueroa (Puerto Rico) Patti McLain (U.S.A.) Petru Dumitru (Romania)

This workshop describes an ongoing multilingual project in I*EARN for students of all ages: Connecting Math to Our Lives. In this project students joined with others around the world in examining their own lives and communities and broader issues relating to social justice and equality from a mathematical perspective. In many countries, math traditionally has been studied on its own or linked in the curriculum with science. This project explored the possibilities of linking math to other areas of the curriculum including social studies and language arts.
 

Last year dozens of classes participated in the project. We will share their many ideas with you such as interviewing community members about how they use math in their lives or working with students to conduct surveys and analyze the data using graphs and charts.
The workshop will also focus on these topics: helping students to see math as a universal language and to overcome their fear of mathematical symbols, using math to make decisions, comparisons, and judgments, observing math in the world, and helping students learn from others and work in a team.

Outline of the workshop:
 

• Introduction by Enid Figueroa, Kristin Brown, Co-directors in I*EARN ORILLAS Center and the coordinators of the project "Connecting Math to Our Lives". Patti McLain and Petru Dumitru are teachers participating in project.

• Math in Our Lives and Communities, by Kristin Brown, Enid Figueroa, and Petru Dumitru.
• Linking Math to Social Concerns and Issues of Equality, by Kristin Brown. Promoting Equity at our school site, by Patti McLain.

• Communication using Math like an universal language by Petru Dumitru
• Plans ideas for next year by Kristin Brown.
• Audience questions, answers and feedback. An invitation to dialogue about the project evaluation, other ideas of activities for next year, by Enid Figueroa.