A few years ago I was working with my colleagues on a new course called College Math Foundations, which is now the first course in our quantitative literacy/STATS pathway. In developing contextual and problem-centered lessons, we wanted to use contexts that were relevant to modern life. We ended up developing lessons that look at climate change, carbon footprint, incarceration rates, the wage gap, minimum wage, etc. as motivation to apply averages, percents, data presentation, and the other learning outcomes of the course. These lessons spark a lot of great discussion, and are varied enough that just about every student has some background knowledge they can apply. Even better, students are motivated to develop ways of making and interpreting quantitative arguments because of the importance of these contexts. This seems to be a necessary precursor to proficiency -- getting students to feel the need to develop their math fluency.
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Scot Pruyn
Mathematics Faculty & Learning Center Coordinator
Clackamas Community College
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-30-2021 23:28:37
From: Dennis Ebersole
Subject: IMPACT in Action - Social Justice and Fostering Proficiency
In what ways have you introduced social justice into your mathematics classes and what impact did it have on teaching and learning?
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Dennis Ebersole
Professor
Northampton CC (retired)
Bethlehem PA
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