Ep51: Alex Box, Primary Educator & Educational Researcher

In this episode, we find out about alternative approaches to teaching mathematics. We explore how learning can be encouraged through spontaneous or planned conversations and by asking questions that drive discussions and the exchange of information.  Alex outlines how an entire class might approach a single maths problem, with students invited to share their strategies for solving the problem with the group. As guided by the teacher, the students’ strategies are further discussed, explored, and critiqued to support mathematical understandings. Alex explains some of the inbuilt nuances to these approaches, such as allocated “think time”, collaborative conversations (also called number talks) and strategies that invite reasoning, thinking, curiosity and creativity. Exploring these more social approaches to mathematics education, we dive right in and enjoyably explore a short, worked example: the experience of adding two numbers followed by sharing and further discussion on my strategy.  We chat about student enthusiasm for maths and the realities of everyday number anxiety. Alex offers insights into the ongoing conversation points of teaching maths, such as explicit instruction and inquiry-based, social, collaborative and integrated approaches to teaching and learning, and the importance of finding an ideal balance of these approaches and strategies.  Alex talks about her ongoing research and the emerging global maths and play movement, which encourages the value of mathematics in school and everyday society. Links: twitter.com/HumanEd_Au  https://www.alexbox.com.au/  https://mathsplay.org/ https://www.youcubed.org/ https://www.wiley.com/en-au/Mindset+Mathematics-c-5161 https://www.mathsteachercircles.org/