Fulwider: EDCI 62000 Research Presentation

Hey, everyone.

I'm still working on writing my literature review,

but I'm here to share my progress with you.

Um I decided this semester to dive

into the literature on mathematically gifted Children.

Um So in this short video, I will share my briefly share my positionality,

uh my research questions, my find my preliminary findings and

most importantly, the personally useful pieces that I'm drawing

um from what I'm learning.

So um mo as most of you know,

I have been an elementary teacher for over 30 years

and I've always taught um first through third grade gifted students

in self-contained gifted and talented classrooms.

Um And I spent the last seven years specializing in teaching mathematics

only at a private independent school for gifted Children in Indianapolis.

Um During that time,

I immersed myself in learning mathematics pedagogy and I became

uh the lower school math leader. So I was kind of the go to person for people.

Um I experienced some weird tension during that time

um

when I was co chairing the math committee with

the middle school math teacher at our school.

Um this tension that he was very resistant to me bringing in some professional

development materials from the National Council of

Teachers of Mathematics say or from,

from Joe Bowler.

Um I think because he felt as though the sort of mathematics for all message was um

ignoring the needs of our students.

That's what I'm assuming. Um And so

I found it very interesting

that that tension

was not imagined by me that it is all over in the literature. Um

Wertheimer calls it the ability equity dilemma,

um which I was just, I thought was so interesting.

So I'm going to read to you um quickly a piece from

lien. Um a quote about that tension,

the education of mathematically gifted students is the

object of a debate in the mathematics education community that echoes

the ongoing debate in the education of the gifted in general.

Often this

debate, this debate is rooted in the misinterpretation of educational equity.

While its essence is in providing

all students independently of their abilities with

multiple opportunities to realize and advance

their abilities to the maximum extent.

So, um I do find that very interesting.

Um So the research questions I brought into the literature are who

are mathematically gifted Children and what

do mathematically gifted Children need?

I realize now that those were way too broad as I'm swimming in

the well kind of drowning but trying to swim in the literature.

Um But it's OK, it's gonna be sort of my first go around to, to just learn.

So for my preliminary findings,

I constructed three themes for each research question.

So I'm gonna share those with you. So who are mathematically gifted Children?

So the first theme that has emerged is that mathematically gifted

Children are a diverse group and more than just intelligence.

So, definitions and perspectives have evolved over the years from just

your intelligence quotient,

quotient.

Um So a single number now to personal

and other psychological characteristics such as interest,

attitude, effort, creativity,

and so forth.

The second theme that has emerged is mathematically gifted.

Children are creative problem solvers.

Um Linda Sheffield does a lot of writing about mathematically gifted Children.

Um And so I like one of her quotes in spite of its importance

into mathematical creativity

has not received the same attention as

research into student difficulties in learning mathematics.

And so

she talks about how research and mathematics education

is pairing up with psychology of creativity,

which is also pairing up with gifted education.

Um And so the combination of those three are gaining attention in the research,

which to me is extremely exciting.

The third theme is mathematically gifted Children differ from their age peers.

They differ in the way they view, understand and learn mathematics,

they learn more rapidly and on a deeper level.

Um It was interesting because this is a learning theory class that there.

Um I read about criticisms of

Page's theory of cognitive development in that um he

was really underestimating the abilities of young Children.

Um and also found it interesting that he actually acknowledged and I'll quote

that some Children will advance more quickly and reach

a certain cognitive stage at a relatively early age.

And so I thought that was interesting.

Um As far as my themes for what do mathematically gifted Children need.

The first theme that has emerged is that mathematically gifted Children

need access to a quality and appropriately challenging mathematics education.

I did read some studies about

um curriculum developed specifically for

gift to Children mathematics curriculum

and how it had positive effects on their achievement.

Um And then Linda Sheffield again, gives just a great example of

um dealing with these um Children.

So she suggested that perhaps when Children are um in

a situation where they understand addition with two digit numbers

with regrouping, they understand that conceptually

um

early of course,

then why not ask them to um solve a problem such as find three consecutive integers

with a sum of 100 and 62 using sort of a problem solving heuristic model.

And so that's kind of where I'm going with that.

Um The second theme is mathematically gifted.

Children need extracurricular enrichment opportunities. Um

Zalman

Yis

has a great quote in no country

in the world.

Do the best mathematics students receive all of

their education from their local public schools.

And so that sort of made me think about Super Saturday at Purdue.

I've been involved with that. I've taught um enrich

enrichment programs to young Children through Super Saturday,

which has been um just phenomenal.

And then the third theme is

mathematically gifted Children need early identification.

And um I'm very passionate about that. I think that

it has just grave implications for interest, ap

or attitude, identity and agency. So it's very, very

close to my heart.

Finally.

Um I'm running out of time but my personally

useful pieces that I'm drawing from what I'm learning,

um which to me is the most important.

Um First of all,

addressing and working toward alleviating these existing tensions

um between mathematics education and gifted education.

I really want to do work that will contribute

to building a bridge rather than building a wall.

Um

Kritsky, I didn't, didn't even know about Kratky.

He's done amazing work with um uh

he's a Russian psychologist,

but has this seminal work that is still so so relevant today.

Um really quickly, I'll, I'll tell you um according to

Krs

mathematic mathematical giftedness and this was in the

19 seventies is the name we shall give to

unique aggregate of mathematical abilities that opens up the

possibility of successful performance in mathematical activity or with

school Children in mind, the possibility of a creative mastery of the subject.

So um he identified four fundamental components of mathematical giftedness

including flexibility curtailment which I view as elegant efficiency,

logical thought and formalization.

He also acknowledged differences within the group um saying

that that Children look through the world look,

look at the world through different mathematical what he calls casts of mind

like an algebraic cast of mind or a geometric cast of mind,

et cetera.

So I'm thinking,

you know, his work could be could serve as a framework for me,

mathematical creativity, um could be like

my focus underpinning my passion, which is fluency,

the creativity that goes into solving even basic number combinations.

And then finally, because my ontology is deeply rooted in care and compassion.

Um I could think about historically excluded Children.

Um sort of an opportunity to elicit brilliance. Thank you. Bye.

Fulwider: EDCI 62000 Research Presentation

Chapters

Audio TranscriptAuto-generated