Entrance Slip (October 2nd)

    This article made me realize an important aspect in language and in our perceptions. I can't quite remember how I was taught to use specific pronouns like "it", "he", "she", and "they" a long time ago, but I feel like our current world is more open to diverse perspectives (and teaching methods!) where there's a possibility that educators or parents teach the young ones about various pronouns and how important it is when addressing non-living and living things with correct pronouns. 

    Trying to remember what it was like in a math classroom, I couldn't recall (or maybe I just wasn't paying attention) times when teachers were NOT objectifying variables. They would usually use "it" as a way to refer to xs and ys in an equation. When I tutor younger grade students, I try to say things like "this guy right here" when pointing out something specific or want the student to pay attention to a certain thing. Now, what about the concept of "Feeding the Chicken", when we want to multiply into an expression in brackets? Are those methods of explanation an evidence on how we might be trying to look at mathematical ideas in a non-objectifying way?

    To indigenize my own classroom and the math curriculum, I think I can start by noticing what is around me to not just learn about but also learn with and from my surroundings. I've always loved to think that learning doesn't just happen in the classroom, at your desk, and how there are many significant ideas outside of what you normally see. Anything can be a tool to communicate new knowledge and can hold specific meaning to nourish our learning experience. Learning about something is interesting in terms of gaining that knowledge, but I think there's so much more to gain by learning through something. For example, I currently have a chopsticks stand on the side of my screen. I can definitely learn something new if I make a quick search on the history of cutlery stands and how they may be produced. However, I can learn more and gain more critical thinking and reflective skills if I come up with questions like "what's so significant of this cutlery stand being a dark brown colour and not something like neon yellow?" or "how do they make our daily lives better (or worse)?".