17th February
Alf Coles, University of Bristol, UK
Title of the talk:
Two myths of learning mathematics and why you might want to re-think them
Abstract:
In this presentation, Alf will challenge two ideas which appear commonly held. The first is that mathematics is a building block subject and the second is that maths is hard because it is abstract. The session traces some of the historical roots of these ideas and why they might now be problematic. There will be opportunities for engagement in classroom tasks and discussion.
24th February
Nathalie Sinclair, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Title of the talk:
Two more myths of learning mathematics and why you might want to re-think them
Abstract:
I will discuss how these two dogmas—“Maths is culture-free” and “Maths is for some people, not others”—have come to be taken as truths for many teachers, students and parents. Compelling alternative assumptions will be offered, along with specific examples for how these alternatives might play out in the classroom. An overarching goal of the talk is to work towards avoiding the binary thinking that produces dogmas in the first place, as well as the well-known pendulum swings in mathematics education.