Equity in Math PED 3124 Donna Fariborz Jennifer

Equity in Math PED 3124 Donna, Fariborz, Jennifer, Justin, Kofi February 11, 2013

History of Mathematics �Mathematical origins are rarely discussed in class �Numeral systems: a writing system for expressing numbers

Decimal numeral system �base ten system �likely motivated by the use of ten fingers �first seen in pictorial form in hieroglyphics in ancient Egyptian numerals, c. 3000 BCE [1]

Vigesimal numeral system �base twenty �uses all twenty fingers and toes Maya numerals [2]

Sexagesimal numeral system �base-60 �Babylonian system of mathematics (c. 3100 BCE) used a sexagesimal system �From this we get 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 360 degrees in a circle (60 × 6 = 360)

Babylonian numerals were written in cuneiform

Hindu–Arabic numerals The first Hindu–Arabic numerals in the Western world, from the Codex Vigilanus [3]

Hindu–Arabic numerals �Originated in India �Later adopted in Syria and Persia (c. 9 th century CE) �Were used by Persians and Arabs for the next few hundred years, until. . .

Hindu–Arabic numerals �Leonardo Pisano (aka Fibonacci) introduced the Arabic numeral system to Europe in 1202 in his book Liber Abaci �Convinced people at the time that they were superior to the inferior Roman numerals �Now used throughout the world

Hindu–Arabic numerals “It is India that gave us the ingenious method of expressing all numbers by means of ten symbols, each symbol receiving a value of position as well as an absolute value; a profound and important idea which appears so simple to us now that we ignore its true merit. But its very simplicity and the great ease which it has lent to all computations put our arithmetic in the first rank of useful inventions; and we shall appreciate the grandeur of this achievement the more when we remember that it escaped the genius of Archimedes and Apollonius, two of the greatest men produced by antiquity. ” - Pierre-Simon Laplace [French mathematician, 1749 -1827]

“Presumably no one would argue that the conservative view on the sum of 14 and 27 differs from the liberal view, or that the mathematical function that is its own derivative is the exponential in the northern hemisphere but some other function in the southern. And regular periodic function can be represented to arbitrary accuracy by a Fourier series in Muslim as well as in Hindu mathematics. Non-commutative algebras (where A times B does not equal B times A) are as selfconsistent and meaningful for speakers of Indo. European languages as for speakers of Finno-Ugric. Mathematics might be prized or ignored, but it is equally true everywhere – independent of ethnicity, culture, language, religion, ideology. ” - Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

GENDER & MATH • Thoughts?

Studies show… • Females are equal to males in math skills. Differences have proven to not have any biological basis • Gap is becoming almost non-significant in standardized tests • Countries with the highest gender equality tend to have the lowest gender performance gaps; boys as well as girls do better (socioeconomic connection) • “Boys still outnumber girls by more than about 3 -1 at extremely high levels of math ability and scientific reasoning”

SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS • The “stereotype threat” theory • Popular culture: • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NO 0 cvq. T 1 t. AE • Male dominance of math role models • Culture of competition in males

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS & MATH: the construction of the learner • “The class in the high socioeconomic school constructed content that was perceived as required for entry into higher education while the low socioeconomic school constructed mathematics needed for everyday life transactions” – Atweh Study • The academic achievement gap for children from different income level families has been growing for the past 50 years, alongside the income gap

• Public school funding: • “Because private funding initiatives reflect the wealth of communities, some schools do better than others in a system where inadequate public funding is replaced by private donations and commercial activities” • Parent involvement, neighborhood and teacher quality are all possible contributing factors

The role of teachers • Math Teachers Demonstrate a Bias towards white male students, study finds • Female elementary school teachers transfer their fear of math to girls • What can teachers do to avoid these biases and promote an equal environment?

QUESTIONS FROM ALL OVER

Answer the Following Questions in Whatever Order You Wish

�In the first quarter of the NBA finals, Lebron James sunk a field goal, 2 lay-ups and a dunk. How many points did he scored? • In the Rugby World cup final, Daniel Carter scored a try and made two try-conversions. How many points did he score? • In the 3 rd inning of the 2009 Cricket Grand Slam, Pakistan scored two boundaries and a run. How many points did they score that inning? • In round 1 of the Barclay’s Premiere League, Cazorla, Walcott, and Podolski each scored 3 goals. How many points did Arsenal score in that game?

Constructivism • We create meaning based on our constructs – Our perception of the world • Constructs are based on our previous experiences, beliefs, etc. • New information is either assimilated into or accommodated by our constructs – Information given to us that fits into an existing construct is more easily learned

�If we show relevance between the curriculum and a students’ life, it becomes easier to learn �i. e. S. T. S. C. in Science �If we take the time to formulate questions around the various experiences of our students, it can make the math principles easier to learn and questions easier to answer �This means taking the time to learn about or students �Interests, cultures etc.

Food for Thought. . . �Don’t let the fact that you can’t reach them ALL keep you from trying to reach SOME!

Assume you are a lawyer in the following situation: A company has 25 employees, 6 of whom are minorities. Five employees are randomly selected to receive a bonus of $10 000. The selection is made, and the selected group of 5 contains no minorities. The minority group suspects discrimination. They come to you with the thought of taking legal action against the company. Would you, as a lawyer, take this case? Does the group have reason to suspect discrimination in the selection process? Is there reason to think that the group of 5 was not randomly selected?

Questions? Comments?

References & Resources [1] http: //www-gap. dcs. st-and. ac. uk/~history/Hist. Topics/Egyptian_numerals. html [2] https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Maya. png [3] https: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/3/3 b/Codex_Vigilanus_Primeros_Numeros_Arabigos. jpg https: //www. scientificamerican. com/article. cfm? id=experts-time-division-days-hours-minutes The Construction of Gender, Social Class and Mathematics in the Classroom Bill Atweh and Tom Cooper Educational Studies in Mathematics , Vol. 28, No. 3, Mathematics and Gender (Apr. , 1995), pp. 293 -310 Nicole M. Else-Quest, Janet Shibley Hyde, Marcia C. Linn. Cross-national patterns of gender differences in mathematics: A meta-analysis. . Psychological Bulletin, 2010; 136 (1): 103 DOI: 10. 1037/a 0018053 Jonathan M. Kane and Janet E. Mertz. “Debunking Myths about Gender and Mathematics Performance. ” Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Dec. 12, 2011 DOI: 10. 1090/noti 790. Shaker, E. (2006). Beyond the bakesale: Exposing schoolhouse commercialism. Our Schools Our Selves. 73 -94. University of Missouri-Columbia. "'Women worse at math than men' explanation scientifically incorrect, experts say. " Science. Daily, 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. Melting Pot Math http: //www. fi. edu/school/math 3/index. html Multicultural Education and Math http: //www. edchange. org/multicultural/sites/math. html Multicultural Math Lessons http: //www. deltacollege. edu/dept/basicmath/Multicultural_Math. htm Lessons from the Mayas http: //www. nea. org/tools/lessons/47756. htm Multicultural Math Games http: //www. ehow. com/list_5982504_multicultural-math-games. html