Dylan Gosse's Ethnomathematics Blog

Hello, everyone, welcome to the final blog!  In this final blog post, the professor has asked me to reflect on the EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics course as a whole and how it will be applied in my career as a future educator. As I reflect on the journey through my ethnomathematics course, I'm struck by the profound impact it has had on shaping my perspective as a future educator. The insights gathered from this course will undoubtedly influence my approach to teaching and engaging with students in the realm of mathematics. One of the key takeaways from this course is the introduction to ethnomathematics itself. In the beginning, the term was unfamiliar to me and my peers, yet as the weeks progressed, its significance unfolded. Ethnomathematics bridges the historical, cultural, and social aspects of mathematics, revealing its relevance in our lives today. As a prospective mathematics educator, I feel compelled to introduce this concept to students at an earlier stage. Providing a glimps...

Hello, again, and welcome back to another blog!  This week’s lecture in EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics was a bit of a shift, where we had a guest speaker, Dr. Khan, who was nothing short of enlightening. His unique perspective shed light on the fascinating interconnection between peace and the teaching of mathematics. Exploring the depths of ethnomathematics through Dr. Khan's lens offered a fresh outlook on how mathematics intertwines with our daily lives, culture, and the broader spectrum of human experiences. One of the most intriguing concepts introduced by Dr. Khan was the idea of "embodied mathematics." This approach emphasizes understanding mathematics through physical experiences and recognizing the significance of our bodies in mathematical processes. The illustration below was presented by Dr. Khan, depicting the intricate connection between our individual lives and mathematical complexity, showcasing how deeply embedded mathematics is in our existence. Dr. Khan con...

Hello, everyone! The journey through the historical corridors of mathematics continued in our EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics course, as we discussed the same documentary as last week, this time exploring the mathematical legacies of China, India, and Europe. The documentary “The History of Mathematics”, provided below, took us through these ancient landscapes, unraveling mathematical marvels that still shape our understanding today. The mathematical narrative of each civilization revealed the complex relationships between everyday life, culture, and numbers. China has roots in early mathematical innovation, as they introduced the world to the decimal system. The absence of the concept of zero in their numerical framework struck me as a significant departure from modern mathematical foundations. The reliance on symbols for various place values and the mystical attribution of characteristics to numbers illuminated the profound cultural connections interwoven with mathematics. We also discuss...

Hello and welcome back, everybody!  In the third week of the EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics course, we viewed and discussed a documentary called, “The History of Mathematics”, which can be found below, focusing on the history in three distinct locations Egypt (1:20), Greece (35:21), and Mesopotamia (19:30). Stepping into the historical landscape of these locations through the lens of mathematics was revolutionary and expanded my understanding of the interwoven relationship between mathematics, culture, and everyday life. These civilizations, though distinct, laid the foundations of mathematical thought that continue to resonate through time to this day.  Each of the three locations will further be discussed in this blog, regarding their historical significance. The close relationship between mathematics and societal demands became evident in our investigation of Egypt's mathematical heritage. The intricate ties between the flooding of the Nile, land management, and religious pract...

Welcome back, everybody! In the second week of our EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics course, we reflected on the D'Ambrosio (1985) reading, “Ethnomathematics and its Place in the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics”, in our class discussions about ethnomathematics and the historical context of its place in mathematics education. After these discussions, I've found myself drawn to the power of perspectives in shaping mathematical understanding. I did not realize how almost everything in our world today is based on math, and how even the simplest math can differ between cultures. D’Ambrosio (1985) explains the sharp distinction between scholarly and practical mathematics in past societies, where some math lessons were only taught to the upper classes while others to laborers, which initially caught my attention. This historical disparity raised the question, “Should mathematics education be more inclusive and globally holistic, embracing the diverse approaches seen in different cultural...

Hello and welcome to my ethnomathematics welcome blog! My name is Dylan Gosse, a fourth-year student at Brock University with a passion for education in the fields of geography and history. However, this blog post will have a particular interest in the relationship between mathematics and culture based on course material from the EDUC-4P75 Ethnomathematics course. I am thrilled to invite you on a fascinating journey through the world of ethnomathematics through these blog posts. The captivating concept of ethnomathematics invites us to investigate the connections between mathematics and various cultural expressions. Ethnomathematics is a developing subject, as D'Ambrosio (1985) pointed out, which makes it worthwhile to continue studying the topic. Throughout this blog, my aim is to unravel what I have learned throughout the course regarding math and culture’s relationships that often go unnoticed in our daily lives. You can anticipate a variety of posts, including personal reflecti...