Fosnot made an argument for engaging students in Mathematics by solving problems creatively and seeing the creativity in math. Reflecting on my practice, I have seen how effective it is to connect math with creativity and the Arts. For example, this year I students design a skyline of their choice and of any city of their choice; using shapes, polygons, irregular polygons and attributes we learned in Geometry. This activity allowed students to design a skyline and find beauty (in Math) within their architectural piece. The hands-on learning piece that comes with finding creativity in Math, also allows students to gain a deeper first hand experience of th
e math concepts.
Her connections about creativity and Math also reminded me on the recent focus on Spatial Sense as a predictor of success in Math. If we are able to foster students to think critically and visualize the creativity in Math, especially they are being spatial aware of math concepts.
Fosnot also made an excellent argument about teaching students to think deeply about numeracy and numbers so that they are able to apply a variety of mental math strategies in their real life. The deeper understanding of numeracy does not lie in plugging in the numbers in a calculator or even finding the answer.
A resource that popped into my mind is Jo Boaler's "Mathematical Mindsets" ; she too, makes an argument for seeing Math in creative and visual ways an important way for students to think and feel about Math.
"Do you SEE Math?" As an educator, I think it's a difficult question to answer, but one that I think I will pose more often when looking at the curriculum and mathematical concepts.... "How can we foster a love for math through a creative lens?"
