Next Wednesday Feb. 25, geometer and mathematics educator Dr. Walter Whiteley of York University in Toronto will join us as a guest speaker via Skype from 6:00-7:00 PM!
Here are the three articles Walter would like us to read in preparation for our discussion and his visit:
1) Whiteley, The decline and rise of geometry
2) Whiteley, Why study geometry?
3) Tahta, Is there a geometric imperative?
Walter has so far sent me one question he would definitely like you to address as part of your response:
"Do you feel you know enough geometry to bring it in when it is relevant, to use it as an additional representation for the mathematics you are teaching (and using)?"
Here are the three articles Walter would like us to read in preparation for our discussion and his visit:
1) Whiteley, The decline and rise of geometry2) Whiteley, Why study geometry?
3) Tahta, Is there a geometric imperative?
Walter has so far sent me one question he would definitely like you to address as part of your response:
"Do you feel you know enough geometry to bring it in when it is relevant, to use it as an additional representation for the mathematics you are teaching (and using)?"
He would also be very interested to hear your questions about geometry in relation to other areas of the math curriculum in your teaching, and your ideas and opinions about recent trends to reduce or remove geometry from many school and university math programs.
*Please do invite Walter to be an 'author' on your blog, so that he will be able to take a look at what you've written before he talks with us. His email address is: whiteley@mathstat.yorku.ca
Do you have a 'definition' of what makes a problem 'geometric'?
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, my focus on geometry in the curriculum has broadened to include spatial reasoning, in an essential way. So feel free to include questions / links to spatial reasoning at all levels.
I recall that during my high school (in the early 60's) I took two full geometry courses (Euclidean Geometry, Analytic Geometry) plus the equivalent of two half-courses (a full math course called Trigonometry and Statics and a half-course in Drafting), only much later (after my Ph.D.) did I learn what geometric reasoning might be. I was talking with a classroom teacher last night who is working on a PhD Thesis on Spatial reasoning. Although she has substantial experience (e.g. took drafting all through high school) she indicated that she still does no know enough geometry! So I want to challenge whether any of the usual preparation you might have has been 'enough' geometry!
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