Adding And Subtracting Social Justice

Horsefeathers ^ | 06-06-2005 | Rita Kramer

[ritt]

A recent report in Horsefeathers on the way in which education schools like the one at Brooklyn College indoctrinate prospective teachers may have left the impression that the litmus test of “disposition”—evaluating a prospective teacher’s politics—applied only to the so-called soft subjects: the social sciences and—heaven help us—the humanities. Not so. Even mathematics is being taught in the public schools from the perspective of the radical social agenda.

“Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice” is an actual course given at Northeastern University’s School of Education in Boston. According to the course description [click HERE], future teachers of algebra, trigonometry and geometry will be given “an opportunity to contemplate on [sic] the role of the teacher as an agent of change” as they “develop a pedagogical model for teaching for social change…in addressing issues of social justice in mathematics teaching and learning.”

[oblomov]

Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice

Participants: Mathematics Teachers, K – 12; Other School Staff
Dates/Times: July 25 - 29, 9:00am – 3:30pm
Location: Northeastern University, Boston Campus
Cost/Credit: 67.5 PDPs, $450; 4 graduate credits, $780

Program Description
This course is designed to explore principles of social justice in education as a lens to rethinking school mathematics curriculum and pedagogy. It will provide participants with 1) an opportunity to expand their knowledge and awareness of issues of social justice in the context of mathematics education; 2) an opportunity to develop a pedagogical model for teaching for social change; 3) a process to critically examine the content of school mathematics curriculum and instructional practices from the perspective of social justice; 4) an opportunity to contemplate on the role of the teacher as an agent of change and “transformative intellectual”.

The course will emphasize the relationship between theory and practice in an attempt to understand some of the complexities and challenges in addressing issues of social justice in mathematics teaching and learning.

Students will:
• Critically reflect and examine their personal experiences, assumptions, and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning as a context for knowing and understanding “other peoples” children – developing critical reflective consciousness.
• Examine what it means to teach mathematics for social justice
• Explore possible strategies for teaching mathematics from a social justice perspective while maintaining academic rigor.
• Explore the complex relationship between mathematical knowledge, power and learning.

Instructor: Dr. Blidi Stemn is a member of the Mathematics faculty in the Northeastern University School of Education

[MosesKnows]

designed to explore principles of social justice

How can something be designed to explore the principles of something that cannot be defined? Social justice has never been defined beyond the socialist rationale that justice need be variable.

Feel free to accept the challenge of defining social justice in concert with the rule of law.

[SteveH]

Teaching Mathematics for Social Change
Northeastern University (Boston Campus)


http://www.pdp.neu.edu/Summer2005/math.htm#justice


Rethinking Mathematics
(Rethinking Schools Online)


http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/math/RM_toc.shtml