Math TLC Seminar Ethnomathematics

Objectives Become familiar with several definitions of ethnomathematics Interact with several ethnomathematics examples Understand why it is important to the Math TLC Have a list of ethnomathematics resources to support course development

What is it?

Ascher The study of mathematical ideas of traditional peoples

Inca Quipu Retrieved from

Time to Explore MSP Net Math TLC Working group Seminar Series-Spring 2010 File Manager Ethnomathematics Sona Drawings 2. Warlpiri Kin Relations 3. Egyptian Activity Identify someone in your group to report out 1 or 2 points you talked about

Ubi D’Ambrosio a professional mathematician and philosopher “recognized for bringing the significance of ethnomathematics as a viable research field to the attention of mathematics education” in 1985 From a book review in ZDM Mathematics Education (2008) 40:1033–1034 by H. Burkhardt of Ethnomathematics: Link between traditions and modernity. D’Ambrosio (2006). (A. Kepple, Trans.)

Ethno-mathema-tics ‘Ethno' refers to identifiable cultural groups, such as national-tribal societies, labor groups, children of a certain age bracket, professional classes, etc. and includes their ideologies, language, daily practices, and their specific ways of reasoning and inferring. 'Mathema' here means to explain, understand and manage reality specifically by ciphering, counting, measuring, classifying, ordering, inferring and modeling patterns arising in the environment. The suffix 'tics' means art or technique.

International Study Group on Ethnomathematics (ISGEm) Newsletter, Volume 11, Number 1, December Ethnomathematics is the study of mathematical techniques used by identifiable cultural groups such as indigenous societies, groups of workers, professional classes, and groups of children of a certain age group, etc in understanding, explaining, and managing problems and activities arising in their own environment.

An Example Professional basketball players estimate angles and distances Truck drivers estimate angles and distances Both are identifiable cultural groups that use mathematics in their daily work. They have their own language and specific ways of obtaining these estimates and ethnomathematicians study their techniques.

Time to Chat What are some ways that you see mathematical ideas playing out in the word around you?

Kerala’s role in calculus Kerala Mathematics and Its Possible Transmission to Europe by D. F. Almeida & G.G. Joseph in Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal (20) (2007, June) Eurocentrism in the History of Mathematics: The Case of the Kerala School by D. F. Almeida & G.G. Joseph in Race Class 2004; 45 The Philosophy of Mathematics, Values and Keralese Mathematics by Paul Ernest in THE MONTANA MATHEMATICS ENTHUSIAST Vol.4, no.2, pp

Time to Chat Give yourself 2-3 minute to skim bits of the article and 3-4 minutes to discuss as a group. Assign someone to report back 1 or 2 points from your discussion.

Why Ethnomathematics? Commitment to culturally responsive teaching Learning mathematical content from ethnically and culturally diverse origins increases teachers’ effectiveness with culturally and ethnically diverse students (Gay, 2000) Offering academic knowledge and skills “situated within the lived experiences and frames of reference of students” (Gay, 2000) leads to more personally meaningful experience and more readily and thoroughly learned mathematics. Showing math as a culturally rich subject

Questions

Ethnomathematics Resources