CME10

This course will help provide the transition from high school to college learning and encourage the positive ideas and mindsets that shape productive learning. We will consider what learning theories have to tell us about mathematics learning, the nature of good teaching and the reasons for ongoing inequities in mathematics learning and participation. This seminar is for those who would like a more positive relationship with mathematics, and are interested in learning about ways to tackle education inequalities. Learning goals: First, it introduces students to theories of learning and in particular the learning of mathematics. Mathematics plays a key role in many students' learning identities and is often the cause of low self-esteem and anxiety. Research tells us that this is because mathematics in the US is taught in highly ineffective ways. Indeed there is a large gap between what we know works from research and what happens in most mathematics classrooms. This seminar will give participants an understanding of ways to relate positively to mathematics, to learn mathematics most productively and some of the learning barriers that often deny students the opportunity to engage with mathematics in productive ways.Second, the course will teach students about the inequalities that pervade the education system in the United States. We will examine the barriers to the participation of women and students of color and we will consider why social class and race are both strong predictors of mathematics achievement. It is hoped that students will leave the course with greater knowledge of why mathematics is important - to themselves and to the future of society.Course participants will be given the opportunity to take part in a mathematics camp, designed to change the pathways of middle school students, similar to this previous camp: https://www.youcubed.org/solving-math- problem/ and to take part in the work of youcubed.org. if they wish.Note: This variable unit course can be taken for either one or three units. Students enrolled in one unit will be working on engaging mathematics tasks to improve learning relationships(Monday only classes) and students enrolled in 3 units we will also explore what is going wrong in education and think together about what to do to help (Mondays and Wednesday classes).