Deconstruction

I use the term interrogate purposefully in this section of the syllabus. I feel that it is important for teachers to move beyond the accepted practices of teaching. I view interrogation as more than just a simple study, but instead is a deeper look into the foundations of the objects. By interrogating the materials, I am hoping that the students are more capable of breaking some of the preconceived notions of what it means to teach and work with mathematics. In this way, I hope to trouble the instincts of what math education looks like, possibly to understand the sets that comprise mathematics education.

I think some of this comes from my study of Derrida. I believe that deconstruction has place in education and can help to further the understanding of how education functions. Education is not simply the act of teaching but is instead composed of sets and practices that need to be understood before education can improve. Mathematics education is a complex system and as mathematics educators come to realize that it is complex, we can then move to understand the binaries that compose mathematics education.

There is also a portion of this that comes from studies of critical pedagogy. I believe that critical pedagogy serves the purpose of questioning common assumptions and accepted norms. It is here that much can be done in the world of mathematics, but those changes require challenging the accepted norms of elementary mathematics education. It is through interrogation of these mathematical ideas that students can understand how to develop future teachings.

Resources: Burbules, N. C., and Berk, R. (1999). Critical thinking and critical pedagogy: Relations, differences, and limits. In T. S. Popkewitz & L. Fendler (Eds.), //Critical theories in education: Changing terrains of knowledge and politics// (pp. 45-66). New York: Routledge.

Britzman, D. (2003). //Practice make practice: A critical study of learning to teach//. New York: SUNY.

Derrida, J. (1997) //Of Grammatology//. (G. C. Spivak, Trans.). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. (Original work published 1974)

Segall, A. (2002). //Disturbing practice: Reading teacher education as text//. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.