The Guest Speaker:
Talk – the key to mathematical understanding?
While concrete, pictorial and abstract representations are useful tools for working on mathematics, it is talking about the actions on and with these tools that brings mathematics to life. Rather than talk simply being ‘putting your thinking into words’ I consider talk to be a, if not the, primary means through which mathematical thinking comes into being. In this talk I’ll look at research behind viewing talk as central to developing mathematical understanding as well as suggestions for promoting productive talk in mathematics classrooms.
Mike Askew – Biography
Mike Askew is Visiting Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, before which he held Chair Professorships at Monash University, Melbourne, and King’s College, University of London. His main research interest is in how to improve the teaching of primary school mathematics and his numerous publications focus on the central importance of reasoning and problem solving in making teaching and learning mathematics an engaging experience for everyone. Mike believes all learners are capable of seeing themselves as mathematicians, given supportive, engaging and challenging teaching.