Despite how math curricula tend to present real-world challenges as universal and neutral, representations of reality in these problems are based on #mathed#mtbos 🧵
particular
though oftentimes implicit
assumptions, social values, and priorities
💰❤️🩹 🌎
May 14, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
critical thinking (in math)
vs.
critical mathematics
what's the difference? 🧵 #mtbos#mathed#iteachmath
critical thinking:
what do we know and how do we know it?
is this answer right?
does an argument make sense?
do we have enough evidence?
are these data reliable?
are there other interpretations or solutions?
Feb 24, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
i'd like to start a second thread 🧵on the federal direction for states to give standardized testing this spring.
let's call this one FOLLOW THE MONEY.
let's start here, a piece from like 20 years ago that shows you what they call "the big 4"
testing is a for profit and highly profitable INDUSTRY /2
this week's letter from Biden's Dept of Education @usedgov to state ed officers makes a set of statements that I would like to challenge, together with your help 🧵
1) "To be successful once schools have re-opened, we need to understand the impact COVID-19 has had on learning"
This reminds me of math teachers who start the year by giving a test on the 1st day of school, w same type of rationale. 🗯️
#disrupttexts activism, led by teachers, pertains to school literature. Math ppl might feel like this discussion is tangential to our work as math teachers.
i'm going to try to explain here how this is centrally related to math education, using their principles.
1) "We have been socialized in certain values, attitudes, and beliefs that inform the way we read and teach texts, and the way we interact with our students. How are my biases affecting the way I’m teaching this text and engaging with my students?"
Math teachers, for us too.
Dec 29, 2020 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
the trolls appear and it's due to this guy once again directing them towards me.
this time, they're bothered by this statement, which was liked by a whopping 3 people
I don't know who needs to hear this, but math is about as political as it gets. #takebackmath
here are some examples of what I mean (and h/t to @RG1gal for her lead)
Political decisions are those that involve power and its distribution. When a society decides, for example, to privilege one way of doing things over another, that's a power move. The systems we use, how we teach them, and who gets to decide are all political decisions.
Aug 10, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
so...apparently this Twitter thread classified as "NEWS"
This is not about math. This is about me using my voice to call out white supremacist patriarchy. Turns out the white guys don't like that.
this "NEWS" signals targeted harassment. Think I'm exaggerating? Here's a contender from today.
Aug 3, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
um, y'all must know that the idea that math is objective or neutral IS A MYTH #takebackmath
read about "mathwashing" here mathwashing.com
Jul 7, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Seems time and time again that the quickest ways to get white guys to aggressively defend their whiteness is either to challenge their guns OR math
When a woman points out that there are other ways of knowing than 2+2=4 that just might generate new kinds of solutions to many heretofore unsolved problems, it seems as if the patriarchy sounds an alarm and then the troops come in to defend, belittle, or attack
