Multi-cultural mathematicsMulti-cultural mathematics
Benedicte BosrupBenedicte Bosrup
Center of education in LarvikCenter of education in Larvik
NorwayNorway
School of Norwegian languageSchool of Norwegian language
BucurestiBucuresti 27 October 27 October 20062006
OutlineOutline• IntroductionIntroduction
• Multicultural mathematicsMulticultural mathematics
• BackgroundBackground
• Language and mathematicsLanguage and mathematics
• Parents as the main resourceParents as the main resource
• SummarySummary
Who are we?Who are we?
““Centrum” school for children Centrum” school for children and youthand youth
• Includes two primary-schools and Includes two primary-schools and
one lower secondary school:one lower secondary school:
- ““Torstrand” and “Byskogen primary Torstrand” and “Byskogen primary school”school”
-- “Mesterfjellet lower secondary school”“Mesterfjellet lower secondary school”
””Center of education in Center of education in Larvik”Larvik”
• ””School of Norwegian language”School of Norwegian language”
-- A school for immigrants and refugees who has to learn A school for immigrants and refugees who has to learn Norwegian and Norwegian and Norwegian cultureNorwegian culture
-- Specially groups for mother and child for learning Norwegian Specially groups for mother and child for learning Norwegian togethertogether
-- Groups for youths 16-20 years where they can take their exams Groups for youths 16-20 years where they can take their exams for for further studiesfurther studies
• ””The World champion”The World champion”
-- A school for children of immigrants and refugees who just has A school for children of immigrants and refugees who just has arrived arrived to Norwayto Norway
Our surroundingsOur surroundings
Multicultural mathematicsMulticultural mathematics
BackgroundBackground
• International studies shows that students International studies shows that students with a minority language has lower score with a minority language has lower score in mathematics than other students with in mathematics than other students with the majority language.the majority language.
• Parents with minority background has a Parents with minority background has a tendency to disappear from the activities tendency to disappear from the activities at schoolat school
Why?Why?
• LanguageLanguage
• Cultural differencesCultural differences
• FearFear
Language and mathematicsLanguage and mathematics
belongs to each other belongs to each other
Jim CumminsJim Cummins
• BICSBICSBasic Interpersonal Communication SkillsBasic Interpersonal Communication Skills
• CALPCALPCognitive Academic Language ProficiencyCognitive Academic Language Proficiency
What we need for understandingWhat we need for understandingmathematics aremathematics are::
• ConceptsConcepts
• ExperiencesExperiences
• CapabilityCapability
• Logical thinkingLogical thinking
• TranslatingTranslating
• UnderstandingUnderstanding
Communication in mathematicsCommunication in mathematics
CommunicationCommunicationin mathematicsin mathematics
• AbstractionsAbstractions
• SymbolsSymbols
The practical wayThe practical way
• To see the connectionsTo see the connections
• To recognize what's famousTo recognize what's famous
• To translate the language into a To translate the language into a
mathematical languagemathematical language
What are the children doing of What are the children doing of mathematics?mathematics?
• They countThey count
• They make rulesThey make rules
• They compareThey compare
• They know what is fair and unfair They know what is fair and unfair
Ethno-mathematicsEthno-mathematics
• Where did it all start?Where did it all start?
• PythagorasPythagoras
• The Maya-peoples mathematicsThe Maya-peoples mathematics
Mathematics in all culturesMathematics in all cultures
• CountingCounting
• GamesGames
• Hand-craftHand-craft
• CookingCooking
Focus at school:Focus at school:
• Which countries are represented in Which countries are represented in the class?the class?
• How is the math in those countries?How is the math in those countries?
• Children thinks it is very exciting to Children thinks it is very exciting to learn perhaps math in Arabian. learn perhaps math in Arabian.
Our thoughtsOur thoughts
• Creating models in teaching children with Creating models in teaching children with two languages.two languages.
• Establish good areas for planning and Establish good areas for planning and evaluation in education of children from the evaluation in education of children from the minorities.minorities.
• Give the students and their parents pride of Give the students and their parents pride of their culture.their culture.
Parents Parents
as the as the
main resourcemain resource
In our schools we want to:In our schools we want to:
• Educate the parents so they can be Educate the parents so they can be able to help their children by:able to help their children by:
– Motivating and being important Motivating and being important supporters.supporters.
– Giving knowledge about how we teach Giving knowledge about how we teach at school.at school.
How?How?
• Cooperate school and family.Cooperate school and family.
• Training mathematics in the mother Training mathematics in the mother tongue.tongue.
• Change some assumptions for how we Change some assumptions for how we teach in mathematics.teach in mathematics.
HomeworkHomework
International meeting for International meeting for parentsparents
• We invite all the parents with We invite all the parents with minority background at our schools minority background at our schools to a meeting.to a meeting.
CooperatingCooperating
Family
School Culture Identity
Organize supporters in Organize supporters in homework:homework:
• Each school has their own homework Each school has their own homework groupgroup
• Managed by a professional Managed by a professional homework teacher and voluntary homework teacher and voluntary helpershelpers
The school and the teachersThe school and the teachers
• They need to cooperate and have the They need to cooperate and have the child and it’s family in focuschild and it’s family in focus
Cooperation at Cooperation at schoolschool
Math-teacher
Double-lingualteacher
Teacher in
second language
Our projectOur project Multi-cultural
mathematics
Educatingparents in how to help
children with mathematics
Homeworkproject
and serving of a warm meal
Educating bilingual teachers
in how to teach
mathematics
Let theparents
be involved and included in the school
Professionalhomework-
groupsat school
Steering Committee
Project groupwith teachers in mother
tongue, math, second language from each school and the project leader
Our intensionOur intension
• Better mathematical understanding for Better mathematical understanding for bilingual childrenbilingual children
• Consciousness for the parents in how Consciousness for the parents in how they can help and support their childrenthey can help and support their children
• To create a good dialog between family To create a good dialog between family and school about the child's leveland school about the child's level
Our intensions for the Our intensions for the teachers:teachers:• Better education of teachers in how Better education of teachers in how
to teach in a bilingual perspectiveto teach in a bilingual perspective– second language second language – mother tongue mother tongue – mathematicsmathematics
• How to teach mathematics with a How to teach mathematics with a multicultural perspectivemulticultural perspective
Multi-cultural mathematics Multi-cultural mathematics SummarySummary
• Vision Vision – Every child has the right of good Every child has the right of good
education despite of their parents education despite of their parents ethnicity, economy, education or cultureethnicity, economy, education or culture
• Our strategy:Our strategy:– Develop our experiences with other Develop our experiences with other
schools schools – Develop the pride and respect for other Develop the pride and respect for other
culturescultures
Thank you Thank you for for
listening!listening!
[email protected]@larvik.kommune.no
Bucuresti 27 October 2006Bucuresti 27 October 2006