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Silvia Aldana brings math to the community
66 Plays4 months ago
Webpage: www.math2thepoint.com,
Instagram: @math2thepoint
Facebook: math2thepoint
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/saldanamath2thepoint/
Shout out to: https://mathcirclesofhouston.org/
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Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Sponsorship
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Learner Centered Spaces podcast, where we empower and inspire ownership of learning. Sponsored by Mastery Portfolio, hosted by Star Saxton and Crystal
Mission of the Podcast
00:00:13
Speaker
Frommer. In each episode, we will bring you engaging conversations with a wide variety of educators. both in and out of the classroom. This podcast is created for educators who want to learn more about how to make the shift toward learner-centered spaces for their students, schools, and districts, or education at large.
Guest Introduction: Sylvia Adana
00:00:34
Speaker
The Learner-Centered Spaces podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Get ready to be inspired as we dive right into the conversation with today's guest.
00:00:46
Speaker
We are so excited to have Sylvia Adana on the show today. Sylvia is a high school, middle school, and IB diploma math teacher, a mathematics professor at ETOM in Mexico, professor at the University of Arizona, and IBM guest professor in Mexico. She believes that math should be enjoyable and accessible to all. More interesting facts about Sylvia. She was the Khan Academy top educator video of 2021. also MIT 2015 SEPT, which stands for Science and Engineering Program for Teachers Conference Award, also the Fulbright Kona Seat Scholarship recipient in 1991, and also her thesis won a special achievement award. We are so honored to have Sylvia on the show today.
Pivotal Teaching Moments
00:01:40
Speaker
My goodness, there are so many things I have questions about, Sylvia, but I would love for you to first tell us about a defining moment in your educational journey. Yes, well, there have been several ones, but um it was in the year 2018. I was running the Applied Math Club sponsor at my school. And we changed from three members to 12. And we started to change. Our focus originally was math contest. But that year we changed because of the, you know, the students were leading the project. They asked us to do math activities in which we could engage other students that were not as interested in mathematics.
Math to the Point: Vision and Activities
00:02:22
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So we started doing. um
00:02:24
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math activities that we offer to our community. And we found out that they were the participants were curious and they were willing to spend more time you know discovering and creating mathematics. And again, not all of them were math-oriented students. Even we had administrators that passed around and wanted to participate. And we also had teachers that wanted to participate. So after these six years of engaging students through the math club activities, I decided that it was time to get out of the school bubble and share them with as many members of my community as possible. So that's when I decided to found Math to the Point, which is a place to explore, discover, and talk about mathematics. um We offer math field trips, workshops, ah both in our location and at our neighboring library. So that's what I'm doing right now.
00:03:17
Speaker
That's so incredible. And given how some folks have not necessarily come to math in a positive way, it seems like you are changing that experience for them. And that's just amazing. So in that realm, how does a learner-centered space in your new context, in the current context you're in, look like, feel like, sound like? And how does it expand on what kids are already doing in school? Yes, so like like ah like I said before, I think a big problem is math anxiety. And we see it more and more in in young learners. um The stakes are really high, you know applications to other schools, their parents are very anxious. So the idea of math to the point now is
00:04:06
Speaker
offer mathematics in a non-stressful environment. So we do activities like on weekends or like for um Mother's Day, you know, we bring all the families and we have a math activity that also creates something. So they create with their hands, they explore with their hands, but at the same time they are discovering a math topic and then some of them want to know more. And the parents get involved and, you know, losing that fear of mathematics, the goal is that eventually it permeates to the school environment. So once a kid or a parent has seen that mathematics is not threatening, we can, you know, reinforce that like again, and then they go back to the school and it's like, oh, okay, so math is not as bad as I thought it was. So even though, you know, in the schools, um you know, not all teachers have a education that it's student centered,
00:05:05
Speaker
Then I think with um the engagement that we do here at our location, we can engage these parents and families to ah law of mathematics, even in the classroom.
Innovative Assessment Methods
00:05:19
Speaker
So Silvia, you're talking about math anxiety and and ways that we can bring math and into the communities and to show families and kids and everybody that math is not scary, it doesn't need to produce anxiety, but we all know that we've got the dreaded traditional tests, the the quizzes and tests that we have to do. We work in the same school, so we both know that those are something that we have to do. What is your view around assessment? How do you know when a learner has learned what they need for the next level of math?
00:05:54
Speaker
um That is a great question and a difficult question. I am not in favor of assessments in general. I think one-to-one conversation with ah with a teacher or an educator through these explorations that we're talking about or even in a classroom with the work that we do, um you know that conversation and when a student is able to produce and communicate mathematics in a coherent way, that tells you know, again, the educator, the the level of that student. So what kind of things that student can do? Now, for example, I'm still a teacher, and um one of the grades that I teach is seniors. So we're talking about calculus here. So I use the vertical boards, right, ah as a center.
00:06:43
Speaker
uh, for, for learners. And what they do is, you know, students go to the board, they work on problems, they discuss among their peers, and it's all student centered, right? It's not me telling them, you know, okay, the next step is that. And, um, so they discovered, you know, they have the tools, they use the previous learn, learning experience or concepts. to build the new ones and then discuss with their groups and they're free to go. you know Now, how do I evaluate the students? I still have to evaluate according to the rules of the school. you know You have to give them a test and you have to give them a number. But I think it's very valuable the comments that a teacher writes, even though I don't like to write comments in the report card. um I think if if the system of education changes, we could
00:07:31
Speaker
talk about skills, like again, back to calculus, you know, they can integrate using these rules and they can apply the rules to problems like, um I don't know, dynamical systems, right? And it's it's more about what what they can do with these topics than putting a grade out of them. Now, I think assessment in general, um the one that we use in schools, it's all based on the grading and the time. Some students can work against the clock and their brains cannot think when they are fighting against that clock on the wall. um So I've had in my experience as a teacher students that are very smart. Given the time frame, they will be able to produce you know the results that we're expecting them to show in in an assessment, in a written assessment.
00:08:21
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But they don't have the time. you know We give them, what, 45 minutes for a test or an hour or whatever it is, um which I think it's not reflecting why so what a student can do. We all have different paces um and timings for thinking and producing things with the knowledge that we have and the experience that we have. So to me, assessment needs to change and and change completely. It needs to be assessed. orally, like you as a teacher meet with your student, and you say, OK, talk to me about you know differential equations. What are differential equations for you? And how would you solve, for example, this one? And it's a conversation. It's in a relaxed environment. And then you write your report about, OK, the student can do A, B, and C. And it recognizes these rules or or patterns and can put it in the context of a word problem, et cetera, et cetera. um
00:09:15
Speaker
which again, I haven't seen anything yet written like that or schools that are following that, but um I think it's that's the way I see assessment. i'm I'm not to an agreement with numbers. I don't know if I can answer your question though.
Implementing Hands-On Math in Rigid Systems
00:09:30
Speaker
Sylvia, I have to tell you, i don't any of our listeners would know up to this point that you are singing my love language right now um as somebody who also believes that tests and formal summative assessments are not in children's best interest. What I would love for you to dig a little more deeply into is
00:09:52
Speaker
How can teachers assess math practices, the skills that you're talking about, the resilience, the dispositions that make math more accessible to all children inside of the system that hasn't yet changed? Because that's really the problem, right? And and I experienced that in my English classroom as well when I was in the classroom. So, what did you know how would you counsel folks to do what you just said when they have to follow some of those rules?
00:10:25
Speaker
yes so Again, you know i mean um my experience is as an IB teacher in mathematics. So we do have to follow the type of assessments that the IB requires us to do. And I give them those. Now, because I'm applying all the things in the classroom, I think my kids are having very successful in those exams. Because you know once you have lose the fear of mathematics, and you are confident, then you're ready to learn, like like deep learning. um So my students are very successful in those assessments now. How? How to implement that? So what I do is I always find an opportunity for my students to explore either with hands-on or you know they're they're older, so I'm not
00:11:10
Speaker
too much of like Kirigami or origami at that level because they already passed through that. But when I'm talking about, you know, younger students, maybe that's the idea to do some origami and talk about angles. And then once you have your audience relax and and engage in, okay, math is not as boring as I thought it is, you know, we're doing this colorful thing and cutting, then you have their attention. Now, they will at At some point, they will do the assessments. Now, one thing I've done in my classes is we always have that freedom to do what schools call projects. I don't grade projects as we usually do in a regular school. um It's more about like an exploration. so I give my students a topic, they discover things with the tools that they know in mathematics, and the grade is low stakes. It's basically the grade is based on skills and communication.
00:12:03
Speaker
And um thanks to the IB, you know we have a curriculum that talks about that. For the IB, it's very important that we are good communicators, we are good explorers, and we're not fear of mistakes. So even if the if the problem or the or the idea that they're exploring, it's not ah develop in the correct way, right? They didn't get the right ah performance or the right model of the differential equation. It doesn't matter. What matters is, were you able to communicate your process of investigation? Were you able to use the tools that you have learned in the classroom, ah mathematical tools, to present this problem? so And they I asked them to discuss that problem or that
00:12:48
Speaker
topic that they're talking about or investigating about in the classroom because I also want them to be able to explain in their own words to an audience because that's something we don't really ask our students much, you know, and I think it's very important. So I think ah for educators out there, it's important just to give them something to play with, a puzzle, and then just kind of distract their minds of, okay, here's the math class. Let's start with A and B and C. And once you have accomplished that loss of anxiety and fear of mathematics,
00:13:25
Speaker
they' they'll they'll be They'll be with you and they'll do what they need to do, which unfortunately, again, you know is to write that written assessment at some point. But again, I've been very successful with my students in the years past. They achieve higher standards on those written tests. And I believe it's because of the play um that we do in the classroom. you know We play, we have fun. We discover. I made a lot of mistakes as a teacher. And they already know, you know, like, oh, I miss Savannah. You know, I think there's a mistake. Did you do it on purpose? Or, you know, um or is it real? Like, no, it's real. I make mistakes like everybody does, you know. So um again, I don't know if this answers your question, but that's what I do.
00:14:09
Speaker
Thank you for sharing that. you know I'm a middle school teacher and I get 11, 12 year olds who are just eager to embrace anything that comes their way. They're excited to learn. ah they're just They'll just take anything. And so then I think about you because I see you teach and and you've got 16, 17, 18 year olds, you've got the oldest kids in our school. And one thing that I find challenging, and maybe it's because I don't have a lot of experience with that age group, is some of these kids have been going through school in a very traditional way the entire time since they were young. And then when they get to a class, let's say you've got a teacher, and maybe a teacher who's listening to this podcast episode, who is teaching the upper levels of math, maybe they're not in IB,
00:14:55
Speaker
And they want to do some more non-traditional, hands-on, exploratory, communicative math like you're describing, but the kids are pushing back against it. It's not the parents or the administration. It's the kids who are like, no, just tell us how to do it. We want to sit in our rows. We want to take our notes, keep our heads down. What advice do you have for a teacher who might be teaching kids who are just so used to that traditional way that it's hard to get them to find something new when they're that old in high school? Oh, that's pretty good. I think that's a good question. I like it. Um, I've encountered that because I've given some summer classes, you know, in the schools around Houston and I've encountered that like, no, so tell me what to do. I'll do it. And then let's be over with this. And something that I found really useful is you need to keep them moving. You need to get them up that chair. So I take them out and say, okay, let's go around, you know, the the field and
00:15:50
Speaker
Either we talk about positive and negative you know integers, add and subtract, kind of start warming them up, make them laugh a little here and there. Then I challenge them with puzzles. Okay, let's try to solve this puzzle and then let's see who beats who, you know who can go you know show me something. and Then they get engaged with, i mean I hate to say it because I don't like competition, but you know of course they want to you know beat the the the next door neighbor. um I think movement is important. Another example I'm thinking about is mean not just positive or negative integers, but um like with velocity. and Again, I'm i'm a calculus teacher, so those are the examples I can find. um so velocity When velocity changes signs, you know it the the particle moves either left or right. That's how we teach it.
00:16:39
Speaker
So I tell the students, okay, let's move to the left, let's move to the right, let's see who can do the right diagram, you know, I'm going to give you the signs and then you should know where to move. And I think movement, it's important because they spend so much time sitting and in their phones that um they need to to, when they start moving, kind of like, you change that pace. um So that's why I think this idea of standing in the boards, if you don't have the freedom to go outside to the field or something, it's important. So like, okay, I have a first problem. Let's go to the boards and let's do some diagrams. Or what does that problem tell you? Draw a figure, you know, if it's geometry. um And that's kind of the way which I kind of engaged the audience.
Influences and Inspirations in Mathematics
00:17:26
Speaker
That sounds amazing, and I too taught 11th and 12th graders to the oldest kids, so I could empathize with a lot of the challenges that come with the older students. What we would love now is for you to share any folks that you'd like to give a shout out to who has influenced you, who should our listeners be following, paying attention to, that will help them with learner-centered spaces in math.
00:17:54
Speaker
That's a good question too. um Well, here I'm in Houston, I'm located in Houston. So there is a particular person that works for, well, she's the organization of Matt Circles here in Houston. Matt Circles, it's an organization that gives ah problems, math problems to middle schools here in Houston. there They can be for um upper school students. But their idea is, you know, you have these families getting together and the kids get together and then they start solving problems. in ah Again, it's a non-threading environment. Now, sometimes parents just want to have something to you know for their kids to do in the summer, so they they put them there. But they are so engaged, and I've seen kids there that are not math-oriented.
00:18:36
Speaker
And they love it. And they want to come back the next summer and the next winter. And they're around ah Houston in different locations because you know they go wherever their doors open. So sometimes they're at the University of Houston. Sometimes they are at the parking memorial. um So you just have to follow them. It's Mad Circles of Houston. It's a nonprofit, so their programs are pretty accessible. And they're amazing doing mathematics. Another person in this one works mostly with homeschoolers. It's Bridges to Science. And again, they do not just math, but they do um science, of course, and engineering. And they have lots of activities, especially for our low income communities. So for teachers that work in those areas, maybe they want to join, you know, some of their meetings and stuff. I think we can learn from each other a lot.
Community Engagement and Sharing
00:19:25
Speaker
But, you know, it's basically I want to give a big shout to all the teachers out there that we don't know and they don't have a podcast or they don't have a website that are doing incredible stuff to engage their students. You know, as soon as like the ones we just mentioned that, oh, just give me the problem. I'll do it and then be done with it. um And we don't know them. So if you hear, you know, if you hear from them or you know them, just give them a shout out because I think they serve a lot of applause.
00:19:54
Speaker
Thank you. And listeners, if you do know a teacher out there who is doing amazing things in their classroom and you think that they would be a great guest on our show, please write us and let us know because we would love to highlight innovative educators out there who, like Sylvia said, may not be out there on social media and sharing it, um but definitely have wonderful ideas um that can spread across education.
Conclusion and Social Media Interaction
00:20:18
Speaker
So Sylvia, to wrap up, where can our listeners find you online? Yes, our website is ah math to the point, which is M-A-T-H, the number two, T-H-E-P-O-I-N-T dot.com. Great. We will put that in the show notes, so please scroll down and find that link. Sylvia, thank you so much for being on the show today. We very much appreciate it. Thank you for having me.
00:20:48
Speaker
We hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as we did. If you'd like any additional information from the show, check out the show notes. Learn more about Mastery Portfolio and how we support schools at masteryportfolio dot.com. You can follow us on X at Mastery for All and linked to in our Mastery Portfolio page. We'd love for you to engage with us. If you'd like to be a guest in the show or know someone who would be an inspiring guest, please fill out the survey found in the show notes. And we'd love your feedback. Please write a review on your favorite podcasting app.
00:21:26
Speaker
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