TEACHING MATH AND TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY OF MATH EDUCATION 1

Victoria Mulkern
Teaching Math and Technology Philosophy of Mathematics Education
January 30, 2019

As a disciple of Paulo Friere, I believe that the schooling system in any democracy

should serve as an instrument of producing critical and creative thinking in young people, so that

they can subsequently feel enabled to transform the current power systems (Friere, 1972). Under

this core tenet, I view Mathematics from a dynamic, problem-driven view in which students are

constantly being challenged to step out of their comfort zones to use and produce mathematical

skills in order to solve real-world human problems. Instead of being seen as an isolated, abstract

discipline centered only around facts and logic, I hope to incorporate strategies, tools, and

lessons into my teaching that contextualize Math into my students’ real lives, in hopes that they

can subsequently use Math to solve their own problems in new and creative ways. For example,

with my current first graders, I hope to introduce them the power of knowing and using currency

to earn enough money to finance a field trip. Through the establishment of a daily ‘Snack

Shack’, in which my first graders serve as vendors and cashiers in the cafeteria to a cart of an

assortment of snacks to the other students in the school, my students can learn how to use Math

in business, and subsequently, to earn a meaningful reward. By infusing meaningful, dynamic

activities such as the ‘Snack Shack’ into my future Math curriculum, my students will hopefully

come to view Math as contextualized, ever-changing, and useful to their daily lives.

Consistent with my belief of the discipline of Mathematics as an instrument of problem-

solving utilized to meet society’s needs, I also believe that Math should be an instrument to

interrupt the inequitable and unjust status quo. Therefore, I take a sociopolitical conception of

justice in which Math is viewed as a tool to analyze and challenge the structural powers in

society. By addressing these issues in the Math curriculum, students can hopefully be
TEACHING MATH AND TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY OF MATH EDUCATION 2

encouraged to utilize mathematical reasoning in their quest to be agents of change in society.

Even with my first graders, I believe that simple addition/subtraction word problems can

incorporate issues of inequity and unequal power structures. Through problems such as, ‘Maria

lives in Brighton. There are only 3 supermarkets in her neighborhood. Ryan lives in Newton.

There are 10 supermarkets in his neighborhood. How many more supermarkets does Ryan’s

neighborhood have? Why do you think this is?,’ students are challenged to critically think about,

not only about the numbers involved in solving the problem, but also the real-world context in

which the numbers are embedded. It is my hope that by embedding problems such as this one

into my instruction, my students will engage in deeper discussions about issues of injustice and

subsequently develop greater agency in challenging the status quo in their own communities.

Just as Math is intertwined issues of justice, it is also intricately tied to language. This

centrality of language leads me to take a Vygotskyian, social-cultural-historical approach to

Math. I believe that while students construct their own knowledge, it is only through continual

communication and scaffolding with both peers and teachers that students are pushed to further

learning, and subsequently, to further development. Students demonstrate true mathematical

understanding only through their meaningful communication of a concept through language. For

example, I often encourage my first graders to explain to a partner exactly how and by which

methods they arrived at a particular answer. Through this activity of orally explaining their

reasoning to a partner, my students are more deeply solidifying their understanding of that

particular Math concept than they would be if they were only required to come to an answer

individually. By infusing collaborative, language-centered activities into my instruction, I hope

to create an environment where all students can optimally learn in their zone of proximal

development.