complex identities

We engaged in an activity found in the article Complex Identities in our math methods class last quarter -- we explored what adjectives we would apply to someone good at math or not good at math. However, this article was about more than just the activity we engaged in, and it really shed more light on how we and our students see ourselves in relation to math. I was particularly interested in the mathematical task chart, which listed a number of different activities. Students could be asked to identify which of the tasks, such as sending a text message or riding a skateboard, were mathematical in nature. The answer, of course, is that all of the tasks in some way involve math. I believe that this is a great activity which can help our students see that math is everywhere...not just in the memorization of math facts and rules and passing math tests.

A question I have is why this question of mathematical identity isn't given more emphasis in school. When I read about the honors math student who couldn't think of herself as good at math because great mathematicians are "brilliant" and she didn't see herself as brilliant, I had to wonder if a lesson exploring mathematical identity might have helped her bypass this conclusion.

I definitely see a place for exploring mathematical identities in the classroom. In fact, I'd like to explore ideas about what constitutes a mathematical task in my fourth grade classroom. I can envision applying the same strategy to an exploration of scientific tasks, too! How many things do we do everyday, without thinking, that involve either math or science. Yet many students see math and science as their weakest, and sometimes least enjoyable, subjects. It would be particularly nice to see those kinds of attitudes turned around!