[sudo-discuss] Morning Math Restated
Thomas Fitzpatrick
fitzsnaggle at gmail.com
Wed Oct 2 00:45:36 PDT 2013
Thanks for the feedback. That literature is welcome. Shower away.
I'm not sure about other boxing gyms, but that was my experience at
King's Gym in East Oakland. To its credit, at least a fifth of its
members are women and I've never seen them harassed - ogling aside -
without them being put in their place. I've only seen the beginnings of
bullying and that was squelched quickly - it was an up and coming
amateur teasing an overweight guy who came to hang out more than work
out or possibly couldn't keep up. I liked how the owner handled that and
that it was fine to come there and not work out at all - better to have
them come and get the social aspects and possibly join in than to leave.
You can also change styles without having to change gyms and make a
whole new set of friends.
I've had the same bad experiences minus the sexism in weight lifting
gyms. And I've never made any friends in those environments. People tend
to be really aggressive/abrasive with each other or not engage at all.
At King's that is all channeled into the ring - a place where restraint
is required the most. Being beaten up by someone way better than you is
not a learning experience - it just kills your confidence. That is why
trainers only match you with people around your level - or they have the
more experienced solely defend or only throw the same punches, etc...
The focus is advancing your skills, but the social component is what
makes it. That was what I wanted to get across. I've also had a lot of
bad experiences with tutors and experts in general. Experts and jocks
have a lot in common. Sometimes they keep talking and you know you have
to engage or you won't retain any of that knowledge. That is the problem
with the broadcast lecture method - it is efficient, but not effective.
Anyway, I wasn't planning on putting Boxing in the Name - MATH BOXING
has some chess boxing connotations - but maybe MATH DOJO. Dojo is a
little more innocuous and there are all the {LANGUAGE_X} dojo events
that have a great format: pick a problem, then break into groups that
mix experts and novices and try to solve it. Names are important for
making people lot at the description. Maybe they don't know they want to
learn more math.
How to Solve It, Talent is Overrated, Problem Solving or anagrams that
fit would all work - Mathematical Games becomes Metamagical Themas.
I liked Romancing and Method, an anagram for Morning Math and Code
because it sounds like a dating advice class and I figured that would at
last get people interested enough to read the description when they look
at the event calendar.
On 10/01/2013 11:14 PM, Marina Kukso wrote:
> hey tom,
>
> ***wall of text incoming***
>
> this is so cool and i really appreciate how well-thought-out and
> well-written your proposal is for creating a safe math learning
> environment. have you heard of the berkeley compass project
> <http://www.berkeleycompassproject.org/>? they work with physics
> freshmen at berkeley to help create a learning support network in a
> program that's famous for serving a weeding out function. also, if you
> are interested in readings about inclusive math pedagogy, just let me
> know and i'll be happy to shower you with pdf's.
>
> while i love some of the principles that you've outlined as being
> productive social norms for learning based on the boxing gym metaphor,
> my suggestion would be to consider not using the boxing gym metaphor
> in the name of the group. my own perspective (and the perspective of
> many women i know), is that boxing gyms are pretty heavily coded "MALE
> - do not enter unless you want to be looked up and down, humiliated,
> and judged.". they're up there with free weight rooms, mechanic shops,
> lumberyards, and hardware stores. (to give a free weight example, when
> i was in college, it was so bad that a friend and i would only go to
> the free weight room at the gym together because the judging,
> humiliating looks and patronizing smiles were just too much. we
> actually couldn't even focus on figuring out how to use the machines
> because we were so preoccupied with the eyes on our backs. women's
> bodies are subject to so much scrutiny by strangers all the fucking
> time (i was harassed twice in the first 15 seconds of a run
> yesterday!) that it was just not worth it to have to experience this
> degradation in order to use this part of the gym, so after a couple
> times we never went back).
>
> i had no idea though that these were the social norms in boxing gyms -
> everything that you shared is really instructive and definitely broke
> down a lot of my misconceptions. it's entirely possible that boxing
> gyms aren't at all like my image of them, that many of us women have
> unfair misconceptions about what they're like, but if you use this
> metaphor, you'll have to battle against that expectation.
> additionally, it's also possible that your experience of the boxing
> gym space is shaped by your experience as a man and that a woman might
> experience a boxing space differently. i honestly have no idea whether
> that's the case and would love to learn more about your experience
> with boxing gyms.
>
> i wonder if others have similar thoughts about the boxing gym metaphor
> and also ideas for other metaphors that might let people know that
> "this will be a study group that supports you in your learning"
> (although you could just call it "math study group" and list the
> "ground rules." or just go full hippie: "inclusive math study group.")
>
> - marina
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 9:57 PM, Thomas Fitzpatrick
> <fitzsnaggle at gmail.com <mailto:fitzsnaggle at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> If there are no objections, I'm reenstating Morning Math. I think
> a new name is in order and would like to field a couple - Math
> Gym, Visceral Mathematics, Romancing Methods...
>
> Sessions will start at 7:30 AM. I will be staying and holding up
> the torch until 11:30. Participants are free to come and go as the
> please between those times on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday (no
> pressure to show up on all days, but I will be there) with the
> possibility of more days.
>
> All levels are welcome - there will always be something to do. The
> vision is that despite skill levels and relative experiences, we
> can all benefit from contact with each other as Mathematicians.
>
> My favorite learning environment is a boxing gym and I think that
> is where our social norms should be derived from.
>
> * Many different styles of boxing and training - trainers are
> free to take on students, students can go to new trainers, or
> you can have no trainer and get bits of advice from many people
> * People arriving and leaving at disparate times as opposed to
> Karate classes where everyone must arrive at the same time.
> The flow is mantained regardless. You tell your trainer you
> are arrived and start your warm-ups. When they are available
> they will teach you something or give you an exercise you are
> familiar with - coming around to check on you and correct your
> form.
> * All skill levels and levels of fitness - Hanger-ons, the
> elderly, novices, pros, trainers all derive social
> satisfaction. Everyone is free to improve at their own pace
> without being turned away from the sport. Bullying is not
> tolerated
> * Everyone is given the opportunity to teach - this advice is
> trusted based on their reputation - many views abound and the
> student is free to choose the styles and techniques they want
> to emulate.
> * Instruction is given and then the student is left to
> practice the motions - the memory is important - by they have
> to get a feel for it on their own. They can be corrected, but
> the trainer is also free to help other students.
> * Some routines are done in groups while others are done alone
> - most can be practiced in both contexts
> * The right exercises are chosen to get you to the next level.
> There is no set protocol for what you do each time. You are
> free to choose what you do next - though others may tell you
> better.
> * No one goes in the ring without a trainer watching (the
> analogy breaks down here)
> * Sparing is the most valuable experience as it builds your
> fight intuition. We predict punches - we don't react. It takes
> half a second for your brain to tell you to move - if you have
> to wait you will get hit. That is why you will often take it
> slow or only do defense or offense to trim your concerns.
> * The focus is learning. Preparing for your match.
>
>
> The primary question I have is how to teach Mathematics the way
> Music/Sports are? How do you teach intuition and problem solving?
> How do groups with disparate schedules and skill levels benefit
> the most from each other? I propose the following norms. (I will
> pare them down over time):
>
> * Agreements on reading materials/problems are between those
> you agreed to read with - not the entire group
> * You can come to as many or as few sessions as you please -
> there will always be something to do. (analogous problems)
> * Progress and minutes are prominently displayed to bring
> people up to speed without breaking the flow
> * Discussion groups form and disperse based on the creative
> process.
> * It is better to ask questions than to give others the
> solution when they are solving a problem. Empathize to give
> the right hint
> * It is better to try problems than to merely discuss, pencil
> must move over paper (or code across screen) - experience is
> more valuable than lectures.
> * Pictures are essential tools
> * Assisted/Group work is valuable for discovering the process,
> but the intuitive jump or connection is up to the student
> * Problems can be generalized, specialized or analogous
> problems chosen to keep everyone in the loop - to give and get
> insight as student and teacher.
> * The learning zone is right beyond your current abilities,
> but not so hard you have nothing to grasp onto.
> * Talent is overrated
> <http://www.amazon.com/Talent-Overrated-World-Class-Performers-EverybodyElse/dp/1591842948>
>
>
> Here are some books I would personally like to study with anyone -
> in these time slots or otherwise. Suggestions are welcome :)
>
> # Good general Problems
> Delightful Puzzles <http://gurmeet.net/puzzles/> - Scroll to
> Bottom for other great lists - These are very accessible
> The Stanford Mathematics Problem Book
> <http://www.amazon.com/The-Stanford-Mathematics-Problem-Book/dp/0486469247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380010455&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Stanford+Mathematics+Book>-
> Has a hint key and an answer key!
>
> # Problem Solving Techniques
> How To Solve It
> <http://www.amazon.com/How-Solve-It-Mathematical-Princeton/dp/069111966X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380010351&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+solve+it>
> Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning
> <http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Plausible-Reasoning-Patterns-Inference/dp/4871878341/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375257566&sr=8-2&keywords=plausible+reasoning>
>
> # History of Math
> Mathematics and Its History
> <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/144196052X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=>
>
> # Applied Mathematics
> Methods of Mathematics Applied to Calculus, Probability and
> Statistics
> <http://www.amazon.com/Methods-Mathematics-Calculus-Probability-Statistics/dp/0486439453/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1380010629&sr=8-4&keywords=Methods+and+Mathematics>
> Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers
> <http://www.amazon.com/Numerical-Methods-Scientists-Engineers-Mathematics/dp/0486652416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371662965&sr=8-1&keywords=hamming>
>
> # Discrete Mathematics
> Concrete Mathematics
> <http://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Mathematics-Foundation-Computer-Science/dp/0201558025%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-z-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0201558025>
>
> There is interest in studying Visual Complex Analysis
> <http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Complex-Analysis-Tristan-Needham/dp/0198534469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380010478&sr=8-1&keywords=visual+complex+analysis>.
> The Complex-plane is an alternative to x-y coordinates that makes
> many problems much easier and more intuitive to reason about. It
> was named Complex to be vindictive by mathematicians who didn't
> understand its worth. AND IT USES PICTURES
>
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