Exit Slip: November 23 (Annotated Bibliography)

Here's the link to my annotated bibliography:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jx3HArOXLB7QkcvbEmUcu3DgMo_qV6bYmoGTV38buRI/edit?usp=sharing

Exit Slip: November 16 (Inquiry Project Update)

For this class, I was absent, but continued to research the connections between COVID-19, refugee students, and work habits. 

After a recent meeting with someone experienced in refugee education, I made the last-minute to drop the connection on COVID-19, and focus on Culturally Reponsive Teaching instead. 

Exit Slip: November 9 (Inquiry Project Update)

For today's class, we spent a significant portion of the time having the opportunity to develop our inquiry projects. Initially, I began with wanting to understand the effects the COVID-19 lockdown had on students work habits. However, the topic ended up a lot more broad than I'd like, so my focus has been narrowed into understanding how new-to-Canada (refugee status) students were affected by the lockdown, and what type of work habits could help them succeed. 

Exit Slip: October 19 (Accuracy of grades and competition)

One thing I took away from today's class is the importance of the context of grading. This is because I had a hard time reconciling the idea of teaching students the curriculum and also teaching students mathematics in a broader sense. 

I personally find designing assessments stressful, because there's no way to measure everything a student absorbs from the classroom and pair that with their personal circumstances to create a concise grade. If the grades have implications for educational progression, there's more at stake and it can be difficult to ignore a student's plea for passion and potential. 

Entrance Slip: October 19 (Marks, Grades, and their effects on schooling)

As a math major, I love numbers. I love to make sense of numbers wherever they show up, and bring them into the equation when they are absent. As a student however, I honestly hate (receiving) numbers. I will never forget my awful, gut-wrenching, despairing 12% midterm result from first year (for context, the class average was a whopping 10%- like, 123456789...10). People left that exam crying! And for what? That grade was eventually scaled. 

Inquiry I Topic

 Define your question: 

In understanding the long term effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Education System, is the shift in how students value work habits and acquisition of knowledge reparable after the lockdown? 

Exit Slip: September 28 (Reflections on questions)

The classroom discussion today brought forth many important queries in mathematics education. Among those many great ideas, two concepts really stood out to me. They were "the story of mathematics" and "teaching students how to do good." I personally believe that those ideas are deeply interconnected.

On surface level, the story of mathematics may appear to sound like: "Once upon a time there was a problem. A really smart student knew what to do and bravely suggested to the teacher what the solution could be. It just so happened that because our young hero(ine) was so brilliant, they got the correct answer and the problem was solved forever. Today, our young hero(ine) journeys across the land, solving problems for their friends, living a super-smart life one day at a time. The end." 

Entrance Slip: September 28 (Richard Barwell)

"A Critical Mathematics Education for Climate Change" was a thought-provoking read. I thought that the principles for teaching mathematics in the context of climate change was a well-presented reflection on the way math makes an impact as caretakers of our planet. As future educators, we have a growing responsibility to raise and teach the new generations, because every year becomes more desperate with the fight against the factors for climate change. 

Exit Slip: September 21 (Traditional crafts and learning gardens)

Today's class felt incredibly welcoming. The comfortable atmosphere made the activities were so communal and relaxing. It was so heartwarming to see everyone working on their 5-strand and 7-strand braids, twisting the ropes, and excitedly fashioning a kite. Instead of the competitive environments we are used to, I felt so proud of everyone's creations and appreciative knowing how much work each person put in to their project! 

Entrance Slip: September 21 (Sharon Kallis)

Sharon Kallis' point on "happily [divesting] the responsibility of taking care of ourselves" stood out to me (page 21). Despite being aware of our inabilities to survive without specific technologies, her explanation of outsourcing highlighted the choice we made to prioritize comfort over effort. For some reason, it made me feel really uncomfortable to be so aware of our inevitable dependences (which is a good thing!). Sharon's outline of the situation elucidated the shift in priorities and potential consequences that could occur without enough effort to change, which was something I really resonated with. Given the evidences of human-impacted climate change, I think it's crucial that we make achievable adjustments to reconnect to natural, local methods wherever possible. I also liked that her concept of backsourcing is simple enough to have nurtured discussions in classrooms, and a grassroots movement towards supporting that independence could be very powerful.