Responses to questions https://2024cmesgwga.blogspot.com/2024/05/some-of-our-big-questions-for-this.html

By France Caron, David Reid, Tara Taylor, Krista Francis

How does observation in and with the living world inform mathematical ways of knowing?

Modelling the angle of the sun with our bodies. Latitudes 0’ at equator and 90’ at pole, dividing them up. The revelation of how this all works

Humans create abstractions of ideas that are based on experience.

Trees grow up. Perpendicular inspired by trees, but trees are never exactly perpendicular.

Modelling sound. A square can be described in multiple ways, 4 equal sides, 4 equal angles, symmetry. We each modelled sound uniquely. 

We had three days one on trees, sky, water. Norway has a lot of outdoor education, but many people don’t love mathematics. So will being outdoors welcome more people into mathematics?

We want people to see the beauty that we see in mathematics, and are disappointed when they do not. 

We focus on small things on math, how do we connect. Mathematics is about reducing things, but we should appreciate the complexity.

Changing our relationship to time. It takes time to grow a tree. It takes time to learn to math. Growth may be in the roots and not show yet. This could be the same for learning math. There is a second tree beyond the growth. How do the roots interact?

How to integrate mathematical learning with Indigenous ways of learning, knowing, caring for and living in good relationship, knowing that we are part of the greater-than-human world?

We have no idea. Mi’kmaq has different numbering depending on what you are talking about. 

How to generate mathematics/ mathematical understandings through mathematics outdoors?

Orienting with compasses and maps - recognizes complexity. Describe a path to a place. 

Think about the shape of a leaf - not captured by our regular geometric shapes

 - the leaf grew by some very simple ?. Can we figure out the rules? Iterative growth.

Maybe bring in more fractal geometry. 

Stories of nature - Michael Frame. We tend to favor the final object, not the process of growth. Also applies to functions.