Connecting Math to Our Lives Math for Fun: Removing Fear From Mathematics 2001-2002 We invite everyone to fill out this Math for Fun questionnaire! Dear Friends, We all know students, and maybe some teachers, who do not enjoy math and who might even fear it. You yourself might have felt like that at some stage or another. Working in the Connecting Math to our Lives Project, we have learnt that this is not the fault of the students, but often because math is not taught in a fun and lively way. In this message we are asking you to look back on your experiences with math, and help us gather ideas about what makes math fun and meaningful. Last year on the iEARN-math forum we received a note from Krystle and Maha, two 9th grade students from Lebanon. They wrote: "Hello, Math is not all that fun anymore, it is getting harder and harder every year. I wish there was a way to make math a more interesting subject." This year, Karen Morrison, a future teacher from Kentucky, USA, wrote that she also had negative experiences with math: "I profess to be mathematically challenged because of early, negative experiences associated with math. It is my desire to recognize the students who find mathematics challenging, and work with them to uncover their hang-ups and fears. I endured 12+ years of dreading mathematics and do not wish the same for my future students." Could you help Krystle, Maha, and Karen with some suggestions to make math more fun, more real, and more exciting? In the Connecting Math to our Lives Project we strongly believe that math should not be just a subject that gets taught in school, disconnected from real life. If math is learnt in a way that shows us how we can use it everyday in our lives, and how it links up with all the other things we learn in school like geography, and history, and art, more students will understand math and do well in the subject. Please help us in our investigation to gather ideas about what makes math fun by filling out our survey below. Everyone can participate in this survey: teachers, students of any age or from any country. You can respond individually or send a group response. We will post your results on our website, so that everyone can learn from your ideas and perspectives. Please post your completed survey on the iEARN-math forum or send it via e-mail to orillas-math@igc.org With warm regards, Kristin Brown, Enid Figueroa, Gerda de Klerk, Victor Soria, and Carla B. de Herrera On-line Coordinators, "Connecting Math to Our Lives" MATH FOR FUN SURVEY 1. Your name 2. Your age 3. Your country 4. Please tell us about an experience you had with math that was really fun and exciting: Where and when did this happen? What math skills were you learning at that moment? What did the teacher do? (if there was a teacher.) What did you (and any other students) do? How did it make you feel? 5. What suggestions do you have for teachers to make math more fun for students and to help students learn math? 6. Any other comments? India Hello sir, iam Nrupen.I study in RB Academy Pune(India).I am now in the ninth i have always felt scared of maths and tried to avoid it. But my fear was taken out by a sir of ours we call him chiplunkar sir,because of him i progressed in maths. Last year in 7t h i got 70% in maths but after him teaching me i have got 82% in maths this year and he has given me a lot confidence. He is very old,he is of 84 yrs now. sir if you don't mind i could give you sujjesions on how to make teaching maths simpler.As i am free in the summers if your students had any difficulty please send it to me at pai_power@rediff.com. thank you. Nrupen U.S. - Future Teacher I am also a future elementary teacher, and I do not want my students to dislike math either. I have always had a good understanding of mathematical concepts, and it has always been one of my favorite subjects. I do know that I am a minority in this cate gory. There are many, many people who do not like math because of negative experiences from school. I want my students to leave my classroom with a thorough understanding of mathematical concepts and with a love for math. Holly Reid, Kentucky, USA U.S. - Future Teacher I am an aspiring Elementary Education Major at the University of Kentucky, USA. I profess to be mathematically challenged because of early, negative experiences associated with math. Due to course work at the University, I have become better acquainted with the underlying principles of mathematics. It is my desire to recognize the students who find mathematics challenging, and work with them to uncover their hang-ups and fears. I endured 12+ years of dreading mathematics and do not wish the same for my future students. Karen Morrison   Dear Karen, Holly, and Nrupen, Thank you very much for your comments on "Removing the fear of mathematics." Fear and dislike of math in school is a tremendously important issue for it has implications for the rest of a students' life. Too often students who don't continue with their math courses find that doors to many interesting professions in the areas of health, science, computers, and engineering are closed to them. We appreciate you starting a discussion on this very important topic. Thanks, Karen, for being so open about your own dislike of math and for your commitment to helping your students have more positive experiences. Holly, it's good to hear that although your experiences with math were very different from Karen's you too are strongly committed to finding ways to help your students learn to love math. Nrupen, we really appreciate having a student's perspective on this topic. Thanks very much for sharing the example of your experiences with Professor Chiplunkar. How fortunate you are to have found a math teacher who could renew your confidence and help you succeed! We would love to hear your suggestions about making math simpler. At the Connecting Math to our Lives project we are very interested in making math more fun and more real and exciting. However, we are also very interested in exploring the issue of why some students have negative experiences with math. We are eager to hear your ideas about this, and hope you'll continue the discussion. Please post your ideas on the iearn.math conference or write to us at orillas-math@igc.org Your comments inspired me to find a questionnaire that we created last year when two students from Lebanon wrote that they didn't like math and found math hard. I'll share it with you in the next message, and hope you'll add your comments and find others teachers or students to help us investigate this topic more deeply. Warmest regards, Kristin, on behalf of Enid, Gerda, Carla and Victor Coordinators, Connecting Math to Our Lives       Iran   May 7 4:48 Hi all dears... My name is Elham and I am 15 and I am from Iran... Whan I was 13 I had a very lovely Math teacher that she always told us the best things in the Math...and after that time we (all of my class mates)love the Math ... our teacher was lovely...of course lovely and very interesting ... and now all of us love the Math and enjoy it... Best Wishes with the warm regards   Iran --- Tehran I am Maryam From Iran -Tehran .I teach Geometry & computer . When I was at the age 15 in grade 9 my score in geometry got 6 and I fail at that part although my other lessons was very good ,I was strange & unbelievable for me and finally I start reading geometry by myself and by score 19 i passed that . I wanted to find a good way for teaching from that time I promised myself to choose teaching as my job . Now after 25 years Has passed from that time ,I could find a way by 3D studio Max software to show my students what it may couldn't be imagined and even i could teach Geometry in space at grade 11 & 12 by 3D -Max .I worked on it for five years .When i saw my students get in love with geometry it makes me satisfied.I have written my presentation for Moscow2002 coference as a workshop in this matter if it accepted by iEARN I will show that visual at 9th july.So you are welcome. Best regard Maryam