I have always felt really strongly that acknowledging non-European sources of anything, not just mathematics, is highly important. In today's time, we are aware of Europe's past of attempting to erase cultural and historical identities of a lot of countries, I feel we should make an active effort to acknowledge where certain ideas and concepts originate from. This is also making me think of the ELL students in our classrooms. Surely, they feel more accepted, welcome and important if the history of their native country was brought up in their new classroom in Canada. Moreover, we would be encouraging our students to think critically when we take a moment to mention non-European sources of mathematics. When we pose questions like "why is Pythagorean theorem called the Pythagorean Theorem?" we encourage them to truly think about the history and discuss with their peers what if the names of theorems they learn are appropriate.
In regards to the naming of the Pythagorean Theorem, I do believe that knowing all that we do now, thanks to researchers and historians, we willfully participate in ignoring the contributions of the people that deserve credit for it. I understand that we, as a society, have agreed on this name when we refer to the right triangle theorem and changing it now would be a hassle (much like changing the whole curriculum). It would be meaningful though, when we refer to this theorem, to sandwich it like so: "The right triangle Theorem - the Pythagorean Theorem - The right triangle theorem." This will get the students to make connections between the two names without losing the meaning of it. This is a strategy I learned in LLED 360 for introducing new words to ELL students. I determined to try this out in my classroom!
Great reflection, Manveen! Thanks for the thoughtful connection you made to your learning in LLED. Indeed, by posing the question about naming theorems to students can sparks deeper thinking about history. I like your approach to naming with ELL teaching strategies in mind. The names might be a bit long using the sandwich method, but I could certainly see the strategy being used in introducing a theorem. How would you refer to the theorem after using the sandwich technique? Would you use it consistently? Or use the two names interchangeably?
ReplyDeleteHere’s something else to consider: How might this approach benefit not just ELL students, but also native English speakers in your class?