Embodied learning does not seem like the typical pedagogical teaching strategy that would be used in secondary STEM classrooms.  The readings and discussions this week have brought my attention to how embodiment occurs in a math classroom by way of gestures, and how their encouragement can be effective for knowledge construction.  More specifically, I focussed on the use of gestures and their role in conceptualization and abstraction in mathematical contexts.

Seeded in roots of constructivism, Winn (2003) reminds us “that learning occurs when people adapt to their environment” (p. 3).  When people adapt to their environments they are embedded and physically active within their educational setting.   A learner’s mental representation takes on the form of associative networks with a neurological basis that is activated by sensory inputs. (Winn 2003).

Sabena (2004) comments that gestures can help with conceptualization in a functional context. She points out that the internal and external dimensions of gestures are entwined and affiliated.  This affiliation boosts “individuals’ thinking processes and develops a shared semiotic system in which other signs can emerge” (Sabena, 2004, p. 7).  In the case of high school students trying to construct the meaning of an integral from the concept of area while studying graphs from paper, they utilized iconic-representational gestures to describe the new functional relations.

Novack et al., (2014) establish that concrete movements (actions and gestures) connect the learned knowledge to the specific learning context and movement towards abstract gestures situates the learning in a generalized context. The use of different types of gestures amplifies varied levels of conceptual abstraction. A blended approach or “concreteness fading” is a premier practice to facilitate learning, especially for students who are struggling with the concept (p. 6).  To further help a student create understanding, an educator can speak a word while using an abstract gesture.  Novack et al., (2014) hypothesize that doing so can “help a learner integrate and internalize those words” (p. 7).

An example of a way to integrate learning embodiment into my practice would promote the use of actions/gestures in the pedagogy when covering rotation/symmetry in junior math. I could let students use manipulatives to physically maneuver (concrete action) to explore rotation or symmetry. The concrete actions are effective for understanding specific contexts, but lack in promoting student understanding to a general or abstract level.  So, I could introduce concrete gestures (which mimic hand movements of action), guiding students to maneuver their hands as if they were manipulating the object (Novack et al., 2014). Finally, I would have students explore abstract gestures (perhaps just circling a finger) to represent the initial actions and use words such ‘about the x-axis’ while doing so. This example specifically uses the concreteness fading technique mentioned above.

References

Novack, M. A., Congdon, E. L., Hemani-Lopez, N., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2014). From action to abstraction: Using the hands to learn math. Psychological Science, 25(4), 903-910.

Sabena, C. (2004). The role of gestures in conceptualization: An exploratory study on the integral function. In M. Hoines & A. Fuglestad (Eds.) Proceedings of the 18th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 4, 145-152. Bergen, Norway: Bergen University College.

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.