Final report is probably misnamed because my ImaginIT project seems like it is in its beginning stages of developing. I have just given birth to implementing my big idea of building and inspiring my students to be mathematicians. So this is really a “Beginning Report” My goal is to make my 5th grade math students think, act, see and communicate like mathematicians. I am developing ways to have them look at the world around them differently. I want them to see the world in mathematical terms and problems. When they look at a tree, I want them to think about how many leaves they have, how much area those leaves will cover, how deep are their roots, how much oxygen they supply, etc.
The dilemmas I face are typical to any urban school surrounded by an area of dire poverty. My students carry a lot of baggage. I first of all need to make sure their basic needs and safety are being met before I can even begin to teach them. I need to understand their perspective and nurture that into an interest and excitement in the world around them and the mathematical phenomenon it holds. I also need to overcome the language barrier of some students by eliciting help from experts and the community. I have to continue to fight for access to the technological tools they need to truly compete in today’s complex and technological world.
My colleagues have provided incredible ideas for my classroom and I have also shared my ideas with them. It is mutually beneficial and we are implementing incredible things we are learning from each other and through this incredible program, MSUrbanSTEM.
I have shared with you the things I have already implemented and based on my student input during my focus group they are ready and excited to further explore the mathematics in the world around them. They have even suggested that our follow up to Math in FUN is to find mathematical situations and problems in the world that they identify and supply solutions. That is exactly what I was planning to do, but they beat me to it.
We will continue to relate mathematics to the real world and continue to integrate more and more technology into our classroom and world. I really feel like I am on my way to creating young mathematicians to help secure our future and benefit both themselves and their community. The possibilities are endless and we will continue to nurture and grow these new mathematicians.