Week Nine: Approaching Mathematics in Education

Part 1: At the beginning of the reading, Leroy Little Bear (2000) states that colonialism “tries to maintain a singular social order by means of force and law, suppressing the diversity of human worldviews. … Typically, this proposition creates oppression and discrimination” (p. 77). Think back to your experiences of the teaching and learning of mathematics – were there aspects of it that were oppressive and/or discriminating you or other students?

Based on my own personal experience, I cannot recall a time when I had noticed major oppression or discrimination within the classroom. In elementary school we were all taught the same math, some students perhaps showed a greater understanding, therefore they were given additional “challenge problems”. There was nothing that I had noticed with anyone being treated in a negative manner. In high school, we were able to have somewhat of a choice to which math we decided to learn. There were “regular” math classes and then AP classes, which were more “advanced”. Although there was this separation, in my personal experience I had never experienced any sort of oppressive or discriminating behaviour from any of my teachers. Every student appeared to be treated fairly equally and all were given the same resources to learn. If students were struggling, there was a period in the day that all students were given to get additional help, so if they took advantage of this opportunity then they would have a better chance of success. When they DID NOT take advantage of this, teachers may have been harder on the students, because it didn’t seem like they were putting in the effort.

Part 2: After reading Poirier’s article: Teaching mathematics and the Inuit Community, identify at least three ways in which Inuit mathematics challenge Eurocentric ideas about the purposes of mathematics and the way we learn it.

1) Counting. They have a base-20 numeral system, which is built off of the two numbers 20 and 400. In the Eurocentric method of teaching, a system of tens was used (57). This is where 10, 100, and 1000 blocks were used to help guide students into a greater understanding of the mathematical processes.

2) Measuring. The Inuit community used their own bodies to take certain measurements (e.g., clothing measurements while making parka’s) (60). They also used different measurements in relation to time, such as the calendar (60). It was based off of a “natural” calendar and the months can depend on the measurement of some critical component in relation to the land. In Eurocentric education, we use a strict twelve-month system and take measurements with already “set” increments.

3) Localization. In regards to mathematics the Inuit culture uses “the symbolization of that environment with the help of models, diagrams, drawing, words, or other means” (56). Symbolization can often be used to help, such as assess the direction of the wind (59). The Inuit culture uses different symbols to help guide such ideas in the world of mathematics. In Eurocentric mathematic, we are very structures often just teaching the concept and not relating it to any real-life scenarios. The approach between these two perspectives is drastically different.

Amber Smith

Bear, L. L. (2000). Jagged worldviews colliding. In M. Batiste (Ed.), Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (pp. 77-85). UBC Press.

Poirier, L. (2007). Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community, Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 7(1), p. 53-67.