Final Reflection

This course taught me how to connect math to different areas of life such as dancing, drawing, music, and making things such as ropes or braids. Doing activities such as the Sit In spots were great; paying attention to all of the senses and how they interact with the surrounding world was a key takeaway. It was enjoyable to recognise and consider the five senses, as well as how they were stimulated in the garden. We do so many things every day as humans, with so many objects and organisms surrounding us. We were able to almost freeze time and concentrate on the smallest details of our environment. This is a crucial aspect of education that I plan to include in my future courses so that kids can reflect on and appreciate life. We also made leaf drawings using forms like circles and triangles to mimic our chosen leaf. This was an excellent activity for demonstrating how angles and lines are important components of everyday items. This class really made me engage with ideas on how to extend mathematics to other areas of life. How can I bring in aspects from other fields to make class material more fun and engaging for my classes?

One of the biggest takeaways from this class was the "grid" concept and how it is incorporated into so many aspects of our lives is intriguing. Grids can be seen everywhere in our society. As a future math teacher, having a structured system will make it easier to transition into the teaching profession. Secondary school teachers have so many students each year that having a tight system might be quite beneficial. This article made me think about how I can "parkour" the grid system. I'm not sure how I'll be able to integrate myself into a grid-like system. It will be beneficial to have such a regimented system in order to understand the structure of the school where I will be teaching and how I might break free from it. Will I be able to break free from the school's rigid infrastructure?