Summary of SyMETRI meeting March 28, 2023 by Qiaochu Xu

Presenter/Guest Speaker: Dr. Vanessa Tomaz from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date: March 28th, 2023
Host: Dr. Cynthia Nicol

In the SyMETRI meeting on March 28th, 2023,

Dr. Vanessa Tomaz from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, presented her research on decolonizing and Indigenizing mathematics curriculum for Indigenous teachers and communities to SyMETRI members. Dr. Tomaz emphasized the need for co-constructed intercultural research methodologies. By highlighting the ways in which traditional practices and cultural values can inform the teaching and learning of mathematics, educators can create more meaningful and relevant educational experiences for Indigenous students, while also promoting cross-cultural understanding and respect.

During her presentation, Dr. Tomaz touched upon the importance of school practice and research surrounding story work. Storywork provides teachers with opportunities to share knowledge, experiences, practices, and ideas, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. It also provides students with opportunities to investigate territories, nature, and the environment, helping to cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world and its relationship with human communities. Dr. Tomaz shared that in the Indigenous communities in Brazil, knowledge is transmitted through the contact between generations via storytelling, with elders being considered as “real living books”. They pass on traditional knowledge and values, including lessons about the natural world, community life, and spiritual beliefs.

Dr. Tomaz highlighted the significance of Ethnomathematics in developing a deeper understanding of how Indigenous peoples use mathematical concepts to solve real-life problems and address challenges unique to their communities. By establishing a bridge between school knowledge and Indigenous peoples’ ways of living, Ethnomathematics creates a curriculum that reflects the lived experiences and cultural practices of Indigenous communities. It allows for the exploration of diverse mathematical concepts and techniques that are embedded in Indigenous cultures. By embedding Ethnomathematics with their teaching, educators can work towards developing curricula that reflect and value the unique perspectives and ways of knowing that are intrinsic to Indigenous communities.

During her presentation at the SyMETRI meeting, Dr. Tomaz introduced her colleagues and students from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and shared examples of their work in indigenizing mathematics curriculum, including a range of teaching examples, such as students’ paintings, indigenous music and songs, and handicrafts, as well as materials created by indigenous teachers. Following the presentation, SyMETRI members engaged in a lively discussion, posing questions regarding the relationship between mathematics and social practices in teaching within indigenous communities

Below are some of the slides from her presentation:

Vanessa Sena Tomaz

Dr. Vanessa Sena Tomaz is currently an associate professor of the Department of Methods and Techniques of the Faculty of Education of the Federal University of Minas Gerais and of the Postgraduate Program in Education: Knowledge and Social Inclusion, of the Faculty of Education-UFMG, where she served as coordinator of the research line in Mathematics Education. She guides undergraduate, master’s and doctorate research on the subject of Indigenous Mathematics Education and Intercultural Education, indigenous research methodologies, in an inter-epistemic perspective as a way to decolonize the academic field, and in partnership with indigenous and non-indigenous researchers from Brazilian universities. She also participates in social projects that seek to guarantee indigenous rights and participates in committees to support indigenous people in indigenous education and against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Summary of SyMETRI meeting February 28 2023 by Qiaochu Xu

Presenter/Guest Speaker: Stéphanie La France from the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, UBC
Date: February 28th, 2023
Host: Dr. Cynthia Nicol

In the SyMETRI meeting on February 28th, 2023,

Stéphanie La France introduced her understanding and practice of mathematics assessment in her teaching context. As part of her Master of Education, she sought to further understand the field of assessment in secondary mathematics and utilized the methodology of speculative fiction to imagine her own promising future assessment practice through speculative fiction. Her PhD research endeavours to continue with this same methodology to explore what promising futures other stakeholders in education might imagine.

She talked to the SyMETRI members about her research experience exploring a fictional assessment task designed around the context of riding the bus. Using this task and her experience as a teacher, she speculated on a potential teacher-student dialogue and proposed points of entry in the dialogue for assessment. Stéphanie believes that speculative fiction offers an opportunity for radical re-imaginings of the purpose and enactment of classroom assessment practices. These re-imaginings of what assessment could cultivate a sense of enchantment in practice and offers low-risk explorations that have the potential to imagine outside-of-the-box pedagogies. This, she surmises, is particularly important work within the field of mathematics education, as mathematics typically acts as a gatekeeper subject entrenched in eurocentric (purposely left lower case) perspectives (Aikenhead, 2017; Pinxten 2018).

Below is one of the slides from her presentation:

SyMETRI members relate their teaching and research experience to the example Stéphanie has shared, such as the benefits of using speculative fiction as a tool to relate real-world math problems, promote problem-solving and critical thinking, and promote positive engagement in assessment. Speculative fiction frequently involves complicated problems that call for original thought and problem-solving skills. These stories can encourage students to think creatively and develop their analytical and problem-solving skills. Traditional math assessments can be stressful and intimidating for some students. Speculative fiction may be used to make assessments more interesting and engaging. For example, a teacher could create a science fiction story that includes math problems as part of the plot while developing different storylines. This type of assessment allows students to apply their math skills in a more creative and engaging way.

Presenter Bio

Stéphanie La France is a graduate student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy with a Master of Education from the University of Alberta. Before this year, she was a practicing teacher in the K-12 system in Alberta for eight years. Stéphanie’s research interests are in assessment in secondary mathematics education both in practice and theorized with a particular focus on formative assessment. Her PhD project is an extension of her master’s thesis where she explored the use of speculative fiction as a means of imagining future assessment practices in mathematics. She intends to engage with stakeholders in mathematics education to imagine multiple possible futures for assessment practice using speculative fiction as a method and means of communicating ideas.