If you’re interested in movement, math and dance…

 

Hi all! For those interested in the connections between math, movement and dance, you might be
interested in joining in on the monthly meetings of the DMAM group (Dance, Movement Arts and Math). This international group of teachers, researchers and dancers is an offshoot of Bridges Math and Art, and meets one Sunday morning per month online on Zoom. It's headed by Karl Schafer (of the math modern dance company, Dr. Schafer and Mr. Stern). Each session typically has one or two presentations and some lively discussion with really interesting people working with these ideas.

The next DMAM session is this Sunday, December 15 from 10:30 AM - 12:00 noon Vancouver time. (This one is a bit unusual -- they're usually from 10-11:30 AM). 

If you're interested in joining in, please let me know, and I can let Karl know to put you on the mailing list, and send you the Zoom link for Sunday! Hope to see some people there if you're interested!

Our semester is done, and it's time to enjoy your holidays! Thanks so much to everyone for your amazing and inspiring Inquiry 1 projects. You are doing great work.

There are two last short blog posts to write:

1) Your reflections on the process and your take-aways from the Inquiry project so far, and

2) As in the other courses we have together, a culminating blog post once you have re-read all your writing from the course on your blog! This is a chance to reflect on how your ideas have developed throughout this course, as well as a chance to let me know about 'berries and thorns' (see above photo!) in the course -- that is, things that worked well for you and suggestions for improvements for next year.

Please do keep in touch, and I am very open to invites to lead workshops with our group, or to co-teach with you as a guest with your classes, on practicum and once you're teaching on your own. Looking forward to many ongoing conversations and continuing community! 

Have a well-earned and relaxing holiday, and talk to you soon!

Susan

 

The Wurzelschnecke (AKA Spiral of Theodorus, Pythagorean Spiral): Slides and other resources

 Here are some resources for further exploration of the Wurzelschnecke!

A link to the slides we saw today (from Veselin Jungic, Brackett Robertson and my Bridges 2021 presentation)

A link to the Wurzelschnecke artwork Mike Naylor, Gerd Bones and I made for Bridges 2023

Scheduling and other details for our Inquiry 1 project presentations

An ambigram of the word 'inquiry'

 From our Zoom class this morning (Nov 28):

Day 1 presentations (Thursday Dec 5):

1. Josh
2. Saiya
3. Manveen
4. Andy
5. Mark
6. Jacob
7. Caris

Day 2 presentations (Thursday Dec 12):

1. Leon
2. Teij
3. Madison
4. Sahl
5. Brandon
6. Carson

(I've invited Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin, your instructor for Inquiry 2, and she might be able to attend some or all of the presentations -- tbc!)

• Considering that we have about 150 minutes in class each day, with up to 7 presentations, please plan your presentation to be 15-20 minutes long, including the interactive/ participatory activity!
  
  
• Around 10 slides would be the right number -- say, 8-12 slides as a ballpark figure.
  
  
• Slides should include: an introduction/ ‘hook’; talking about what you learned from background reading/ lit review; talking about what you learned from the real world of teaching and learning

• Somewhere in the mix, include your participatory activity with the class. (It could be at the beginning, middle or end, depending on your plans for the presentation.)
  
  
• After your presentation, please post a reflective blog about your topic, how the presentation went and what you learned from the process (and where you want to take it in your Inquiry 2 project).
  
  
• There will also be a final blog post, in this and the other courses we have together, where you read all your own posts for the semester and reflect on what you have learned from the course, where you are in your process of becoming a high school teacher, and what worked most and least for you in the course (to offer some additional feedback for future years).

Planning our EDUC 450 classes to the end of term

Thursday Nov 28: Work day + Etch-A-Sketches and linear/ sinusoidal graphs ... and/or Wurzelschnecke??

Thursday Dec 5: Inquiry 1 presentations (part 1)

Thursday Dec 12: Inquiry 1 presentations (part 2)

Our class Inquiry topic "poem" recordings!

 Here we go! Our group choral speaking Inquiry topic poem from November 7. (Note that some of the topics have changed a bit or a lot, but here's a snapshot of what we were thinking at that point!)

Our Inquiry poem: Take 1

Our Inquiry poem: Take 2

Entrance slip for our Nov. 14 class: Choose an article by our guest speaker, Dr. Kathryn Ricketts, University of Regina

 

Kathryn Ricketts is a professor of Arts Education and Dance Education at the University of Regina. She has worked in literacy and writing education, poetic inquiry and collaborations on mathematics and gesture (among other areas), and has been the head of the University of Regina teacher education program.

She will be sharing her own work in Inquiry as a teacher, researcher and educator interested in integrating arts and embodied learning across many disciplines, throughout her career.

Her interactive presentation will give us chances to bring our own experiences to this exploration.

Kathryn writes:

"I explore spectatorship and the culturally-inscripted body within our ever-growing world of fluid borders and hybrid identities with a focus on inclusive education. While critiquing text centred educative strategies I strives to cultivate dynamic and imaginative spaces whereby the body at play, including all abilities and challenges, becomes the most critical tool for transformative learning across all subject areas. I move education onto a horizontal plane of exchange and empathy rather than a vertical plane of transmission. The reciprocal nature of this approach allows for vibrant explorations with self invested learners who become connected to and responsible for their immediate, local and global community."

Here are links to two articles she'd like us to read and respond to as the entrance slip for our Nov 14 class. Please choose one of these two, and enter your choice in the comments on this post! We will try to make sure that both articles have been read by at least several members of the class:

a) Bitter toughness meets fierce love

b) The butterfly catcher

Here are some further links that you may be interested in following up on as well:

• Kathryn Ricketts dance photo gallery  and video gallery, where you can get a sense of her dance performance works

• Hold on to your hat! All aboard for the train called fiction no fiction! (an additional article if you are interested in following up with further reading)

Looking forward to an inspiring and very interesting session!