Blog Response: Reflection on Dancing Euclidean Proofs - A Video and Article

             It was astonishing to see the integration of math education and performing arts through this video. Overall, it is very interesting that they embody Euclid’s geometric construction, which include the concept of circle, radius, and an equilateral triangle. Specifically, they use their arms to represent radius, and move around to make a circle while considering their bodies as a centre of the circle. By thinking and proving the concept step by step, this would definitely help students’ deeper understanding of the concept.

During the last history class, we also experienced this activity and I thought it was very enjoyable and engaging, which I believe as the most important objectives of learning. As this activity requires collaboration in the group, I thought it can help students build relationships with other peers. Personally, it did not simply end with learning, but I could also appreciate the beauty of mathematics in this way. I think this activity I experienced will surely remain in my memory for a long time. Hence, I would like to incorporate the mathematics and history into this kind of interactive activity and implement it in my future classes. 


On the other hand, I, as a teacher, might face the problem of time constraints. As this kind of activities are quite time consuming, it would be difficult to manage the time during the class. Also, I think it is hard to know if the students are participating this activity with fully understanding the idea of the topic, as some students might do whatever their group members ask them to do. In this process, however, they can possibly grasp the idea. More importantly, it is challenging to identify which math concepts are even more helpful to learn by applying this kind of activity. I think it is always difficult for teachers to come up with great ideas that would help student learning. 

Comments

  1. Amanda FritzlanDecember 19, 2022 at 3:20 PM

    I am glad that you are excited about incorporating this kind of embodied collaborative activity into your teaching. I also understand the concern of time constraints. You would have to try it to know how long it would take and the value of doing with your students. Engagement is a definite benefit.

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