Math and Parent Partnerships in the Southwest MAPPS Math and Parent Partnerships in the Southwest Marta Civil civil@math.arizona.edu The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ NCTM Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, April 2003. Project MAPPS (Math and Parent Partnerships in the Southwest) is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant – ESI-99-01275

MAPPS Math and Parent Partnerships in the Southwest Focus is on parental involvement in mathematics. Sites: Tucson,AZ Chandler, AZ San José, CA Las Vegas, NM Goal is to develop leadership teams (parents and teachers/administrators) that will help in the mathematics education outreach effort throughout the district. Three Components: Leadership Development Sessions Mathematics Awareness Workshops Math for Parents courses

Theoretical Framework Ethnomathematics (situated cognition / everyday math) Different forms of math Values and beliefs Funds of Knowledge Community / families as sources of knowledge Ethnographic household visits Occupational Interviews Parental Involvement Critique of deficit models of parenting Parents as intellectual resources MAPPS Dialogic Learning “no one is better than another” Authentic dialogue, not based on power structures

Tucson

Chandler, Las Vegas and San José

Parents as Parents Adriana: "… It is so much what the kids might learn. My purpose was to understand what my kid is learning ... as a parent, that's the most awesome feeling right there, when you understood and that's when I say "I did learn something in the class". When you listen to your own child without feeling like, "what language are you talking to me about" but this is we in the same level, same language, and it's very fulfilling to say "I know what you're talking about; I had that in my class two weeks ago". It is really neat. Maria: "I know that my daughter is proud of me. I know that she wants to do well in school, and that encourages her because she thinks, -my mom is doing this, I got to do something, I have to be good at math too”. I have to do my part, in order from me to expect more from her, I have to be an example" Luisa: Yes, I have a middle school child. It is, it's another way that I can help myself and help him too. One thing is for us to tell our kids to do their homework. But both of us do homework. It's a little competition right here. You could say "I don't know how to do my homework". But he helped me, I don't understand how this happened to me, but we did it this way, and they we go back and forward, and then I look at my notes and I say "I know".

Parents as Learners Marina: "We’re not left alone like in a regular classroom: you have to study, to figure out the answers by yourself. And here it’s like getting started and somebody else gets over and the light just turns on. "Oh yeah! That’s the way to do it"... You don’t want to miss anything; you want to know what’s going to happen that night." Diana: "It’s different than those days in high school because there’re people answering questions and you don’t feel like it’s a dumb question. Every question is important and everyone is willing to answer and help. They don’t make you feel that you’re stupid". Laura: "Being able to express or verbalize a formula was something that I thought I would never be able to do but I did in this evening" Andrea: "Relating the principles of math to every day life was very interesting since there are things we use in every day life that we don’t think of being math" Gina: "… When I first started, I did not want to come. I wanted to back out, I was scared, I did not know anybody… I did not like math, I don't use it all the time. But I did go and I had a different experience, and I felt comfortable. And I really liked it. It changed because I met awesome people that helped me and made me feel confident. More confidence in myself, that I could do something and finish it". Gina: "I enjoyed working in the groups. You don’t feel that you’re by yourself trying to figure something out. Everybody has a different perspective on what we’re doing so we help each other out figuring out the problems. It’s pretty relaxing in the classroom so there’s no tension".

Parents as Teachers Elisa: “My experience with MAPPS as a teacher is to explain to the parents what their children do in the classroom and familiarize them with the material (manipulatives) that we use and tell them that it is the same material that their children are using; to explain how their children learn; to give them confidence by telling them that I am also a mother like they are and that I may also have doubts and that we are ready to explain something again when they do not understand it. In conclusion, the important thing is to make them feel confident so that they will be encouraged to join this program” Monica: "What did I think about teaching the workshop? What did I think? I was very nervous.  I was shaking.  Afterwards, I was very happy.  I was okay. I felt very confident to be there.  I felt good and I felt important."