#IMMOOC and Math - Part 1 of Many (and not always directly Math related)
So, it's been a long time since I've posted in this. I do have a lot of other goodies and insights to share.
I've been working long and hard on re-developing my mindset as a teacher. I knew that something needed to change, that I needed to evolve. I've been at this now for 10 years, teaching many students in many schools, almost all levels of Mathematics between what 5 year olds are expected to do, and 12th graders going to university.
We as educators are a part of the system that doesn't reach all, but if we evolve, then so does the system.
I think that one way to do this is to look at how we perceive what is important in terms of what we teach. How does what I teach turn into what students are learning? Or perhaps, why is this such an important thing to think about in terms of innovating how I teach?
I've had a theory for a while about brain connectivity, especially in Mathematics, and how that by allowing students to explore math in different ways (and by myself letting them explore it in different ways), then it would develop all of these physical connections all over their brains which would allow them to synthesize new information in quicker, more creative ways.
A study was done about this too, so funny that!
I've been lucky to teach in schools that at least on the surface encourage interdisciplinary learning, to let me be responsible for what I want to teach. The IBO has provided different formulas through the years that evolve in order to help us better do it as well.
One of the biggest things I think about is how I intend to push myself out of my comfort zone in ways in order to do this, and some ways to do that have been being a part of different learning networks, and reading a lot more books.
One that popped on my radar a few months ago was George Couros' "The Innovator's Mindset". I've read it cover to cover a few times now, and just tend to pick out different bits each time I pick it up.
Change can be hard, but it's also "an opportunity to do something amazing."
So here I am, hopefully starting to do something amazing, to let me kids do things that make them feel more free to learn Math in ways I hope they want to learn.
More posts to come! #IMMOOC
