- Part 1:
Looking back at my own experiences in elementary and high school, I can draw a few conclusions. one being that we had a lecture-based learning experience where we the students would be taking notes on the material, and the teacher would lecture us on what we should know, we then would use the notes to study and then be tested on the material. Although this method would work for a few students, it is not an ideal way of learning or teaching, for that matter, especially for me. The engagement to the content for me was not exciting, and there was zero interactive learning being applied. Little bear talks about the notion of one true answer in mathematics, but teachers uphold one correct approach to achieving that answer. The issue with this is that if students do not agree with the method or do not understand, the idea of failure is that much greater. Discrimination is present through what is not being taught in the classroom and mathematics. Incorporating ideas of aboriginal education by learning and experience allows students to take mathematical skills and apply them in the environment. As a teacher, this allows broadening ideas of strategies and land-based learning in the math classroom.
Part 2:
In the second article, Poirier explains the idea that there are different learning strategies and processes used by the Inuit people and how it differs from the European approach. Inuit challenged the European ideas in 3 ways, the first being numeric or counting. Police say oral numeration as this is how their people traditionally express numbers as well. The core numbers of 20 and 400 are pivotal. He says there is also meaning behind the number in his culture. The second is sense of space, which highlights to the reader that systems and constructs that we experience daily could differ from others. Furthermore, the third way is through measuring. This consists of measuring for lengths such as body parts for fitment of different clothing items and the application of the phalanx unit. Although, through the traditional calendar, other factors can be measured, including how the days are structured in length and the vital link to nature to establish the various seasons. By challenging the European point of view, we can examine new domains of ideas to inheart into the classroom.