Maura Varley Gutiérrez
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226037974
- eISBN:
- 9780226037998
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226037998.003.0006
- Subject:
- Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education
This chapter outlines the evolution of one of the counterarguments generated by the girls in order to illustrate how multiple knowledge bases (knowledge about the needs of the community, knowledge ...
More
This chapter outlines the evolution of one of the counterarguments generated by the girls in order to illustrate how multiple knowledge bases (knowledge about the needs of the community, knowledge about math, and knowledge about ways to critique the district) interacted within this hybrid math learning space. A distinguishing characteristic of this particular space was the fluid movement between space in the math club and the community context of the investigations. This movement between spaces supported the interaction amongst knowledge bases, as knowledge bases are often tied to particular spaces. Ultimately, this hybrid learning space fostered an alternative kind of mathematical activity that challenged the often exclusionary, yet dangerously portrayed as neutral, role of the discipline of math, and opened up entry points for the collective development of mathematical and critical knowledge for the students. Statistics on educational attainment and achievement suggest that the disconnect between students' school experiences and their lives outside of school can have devastating consequences. Math education should not only empower students with the skills and understandings to succeed academically, but also prepare them to critically investigate, challenge, and act upon issues in their lives and communities.Less
This chapter outlines the evolution of one of the counterarguments generated by the girls in order to illustrate how multiple knowledge bases (knowledge about the needs of the community, knowledge about math, and knowledge about ways to critique the district) interacted within this hybrid math learning space. A distinguishing characteristic of this particular space was the fluid movement between space in the math club and the community context of the investigations. This movement between spaces supported the interaction amongst knowledge bases, as knowledge bases are often tied to particular spaces. Ultimately, this hybrid learning space fostered an alternative kind of mathematical activity that challenged the often exclusionary, yet dangerously portrayed as neutral, role of the discipline of math, and opened up entry points for the collective development of mathematical and critical knowledge for the students. Statistics on educational attainment and achievement suggest that the disconnect between students' school experiences and their lives outside of school can have devastating consequences. Math education should not only empower students with the skills and understandings to succeed academically, but also prepare them to critically investigate, challenge, and act upon issues in their lives and communities.
Edna Tan, Angela Calabrese Barton, Erin E. Turner, and Maura Varley Gutiérrez
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226037974
- eISBN:
- 9780226037998
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226037998.003.0001
- Subject:
- Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Math and science hold uniquely powerful places in contemporary society. These domains open doors to high-paying professions; provide a knowledge base for more informed conversations with health care ...
More
Math and science hold uniquely powerful places in contemporary society. These domains open doors to high-paying professions; provide a knowledge base for more informed conversations with health care workers, educators, and business and community leaders; and demystify issues of global importance, such as air and water quality standards, population density, toxic dumping, and the economy. Schools play a crucial role in mediating access to math and science. The call to make equitable math and science instruction has tended to reside in the policy sector with extension into curricula, rather than in any systematic line of inquiry into what this should look like and why. This chapter sheds light on specific needs of urban learners in the effort to promote science and math for all. High-quality science and math education is a civil right for all students, one which is especially significant for those from non-dominant groups. Studies of equal treatment and equal outcome have played, and continue to play, powerful and historically important roles. Most researchers are generally familiar with the chilling statistics that describe high-poverty and minority urban and rural students' differential access to resources in US schools, and are aware that these trends have changed little in the past three decades.Less
Math and science hold uniquely powerful places in contemporary society. These domains open doors to high-paying professions; provide a knowledge base for more informed conversations with health care workers, educators, and business and community leaders; and demystify issues of global importance, such as air and water quality standards, population density, toxic dumping, and the economy. Schools play a crucial role in mediating access to math and science. The call to make equitable math and science instruction has tended to reside in the policy sector with extension into curricula, rather than in any systematic line of inquiry into what this should look like and why. This chapter sheds light on specific needs of urban learners in the effort to promote science and math for all. High-quality science and math education is a civil right for all students, one which is especially significant for those from non-dominant groups. Studies of equal treatment and equal outcome have played, and continue to play, powerful and historically important roles. Most researchers are generally familiar with the chilling statistics that describe high-poverty and minority urban and rural students' differential access to resources in US schools, and are aware that these trends have changed little in the past three decades.
Angela Barton, Edna Tan, Erin Turner, and Maura Varley Gutiérrez
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226037974
- eISBN:
- 9780226037998
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226037998.001.0001
- Subject:
- Education, Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Math and science hold powerful places in contemporary society, setting the foundations for entry into some of the most robust and highest-paying industries. However, effective math and science ...
More
Math and science hold powerful places in contemporary society, setting the foundations for entry into some of the most robust and highest-paying industries. However, effective math and science education is not equally available to all students, with some of the poorest students—those who would benefit most—going egregiously underserved. This ongoing problem with education highlights one of the core causes of the widening class gap. While this educational inequality can be attributed to a number of economic and political causes, this book demonstrates that it is augmented by a consistent failure to integrate student history, culture, and social needs into the core curriculum. The chapters argue that teachers and schools should create hybrid third spaces—neither classroom nor home—in which underserved students can merge their personal worlds with those of math and science. A host of examples buttress this argument: schools where these spaces have been instituted now provide students with not only an immediate motivation to engage the subjects most critical to their future livelihoods but also the broader math and science literacy necessary for robust societal engagement. The book pushes beyond the idea of teaching for social justice and into larger questions of how and why students participate in math and science.Less
Math and science hold powerful places in contemporary society, setting the foundations for entry into some of the most robust and highest-paying industries. However, effective math and science education is not equally available to all students, with some of the poorest students—those who would benefit most—going egregiously underserved. This ongoing problem with education highlights one of the core causes of the widening class gap. While this educational inequality can be attributed to a number of economic and political causes, this book demonstrates that it is augmented by a consistent failure to integrate student history, culture, and social needs into the core curriculum. The chapters argue that teachers and schools should create hybrid third spaces—neither classroom nor home—in which underserved students can merge their personal worlds with those of math and science. A host of examples buttress this argument: schools where these spaces have been instituted now provide students with not only an immediate motivation to engage the subjects most critical to their future livelihoods but also the broader math and science literacy necessary for robust societal engagement. The book pushes beyond the idea of teaching for social justice and into larger questions of how and why students participate in math and science.
