"Math can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees 3+2 and simply knows that the answer is 5."
— Christopher (@Trianglemancsd) November 3, 2015
This is an excerpt from a website that claims word problems are the best way to engage students in rich mathematics. The math education community has been put through the ringer lately, espcially with the Facebook vigilantes and Common Core "worksheets" that adults these days simply don't understand. As Christopher (and the mighty mighty MTBoS) began to dismantle this claim of math being an uncreative subject, it infuriated me to see that a cornerstone of innovation has been branded as such. Imagine if we did this for other subjects:
English-Language Arts can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a picture of a dog and simply knows that it is spelled d-o-g.
Science can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a hand and simply knows that it has bones.
Social Science can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees the list of Presidents of The United States of America and simply knows that George Washington was our first president.
Physical Education can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a basketball and simply knows to throw it into the hoop.
Justin Lanier summed up the visual arts:
English-Language Arts can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a picture of a dog and simply knows that it is spelled d-o-g.
Science can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a hand and simply knows that it has bones.
Social Science can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees the list of Presidents of The United States of America and simply knows that George Washington was our first president.
Physical Education can be a very uncreative subject. Your child sees a basketball and simply knows to throw it into the hoop.
Justin Lanier summed up the visual arts:
.@Trianglemancsd "The visual arts can be very uncreative subjects. How many times can you draw a stick figure? And it's always the same."
— Justin Lanier (@j_lanier) November 3, 2015
Rather than going on a rant about how creative and beautiful mathematics can be, it would be better to do this:
One second you're goofing around with some #math, the next second you're designing chip 'n' dip bowls. pic.twitter.com/yIjEYIPFHA
— Matt Enlow (@CmonMattTHINK) November 4, 2015
Polymorph - 10 points moving at different speeds around a circle. What shapes do you see? https://t.co/HpSyoPiQDo pic.twitter.com/mcOexCTdiS
— GHS Maths Department (@GHSMaths) November 5, 2015
*5 hours and 69 functions later* pic.twitter.com/mzjUmW0gdc
— Sam (@samantha_young5) May 26, 2015
.@dandersod @rdkpickle Squiggles? How about calling it swirley? Nah, graphing a #DesmosSwirley doesnt sound good ;-) pic.twitter.com/0y2JzZ4IWw
— Desmos.com (@Desmos) November 4, 2015
And there are thousands more. Go explore MathMunch. Go check out the MTBoS. Feel free to peruse ISAMA. So no, math is not "uncreative" and we certainly aren't looking for the next VC-funded program, newest app developer, or latest edtech guru to claim that they have the cure for an uncreative subject. The cure is a teacher who cares enough to make math meaningful, even it is simply math.
Math is beautiful.
Math is powerful.
Math is interesting.
Math is meaningful.
Math is creative.
Stop saying otherwise.
Happy "Creativity" Fishing
Math is beautiful.
Math is powerful.
Math is interesting.
Math is meaningful.
Math is creative.
Stop saying otherwise.
Happy "Creativity" Fishing
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