Seminar addresses critical thinking through learning mathematics

Experts in education and mathematics point out innovation in the classroom and teacher training as keys to the development of fundamental skills in the 'Enjoy Thinking' seminar, organized by Innovamat and the UC Faculty of Education. 

“What's the point of memorizing formulas if at the moment of truth we don't remember them? The true value as teachers lies in providing students with the skills to deduce concepts and solve problems on their own. Thus, lasting learning is forged that fosters essential skills to face future challenges,” Laura Morera, PhD in Mathematics Didactics and teaching manager at Innovamat, invited us to reflect. during the Enjoy Thinking event held in conjunction with the UC Faculty of Education.

The activity brought together more than 250 members of management teams from educational establishments in the country, who listened to the proposals of relevant personalities from the mathematical and educational world, such as Jordi Deulofeu, doctor in Mathematics Didactics and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona; and Patricio Felmer, doctor in Mathematics and winner of the 2011 National Prize for Exact Sciences, among others.

Continuous teacher training: the key to success

“We have taken a step further for some time now and instead of focusing on how to teach, we focus on what our students learn, but we can go even further: let's look at what our teachers learn,” said Jordi Deulofeu, in the conference presented together with Horacio Solar, Doctor in Mathematics Didactics and academic at the UC Faculty of Education. In line with this idea, Solar added that “we need figures in educational establishments who are empowered to address the changing challenges of the classroom with focus, creativity and updated knowledge. And at the same time, they transmit this learning to their teaching teams, playing the role of intermediate leaders.”

Educational transformation from classroom management

During the presentation led by Morera and Dinko Mitrovich, state professor and master's degree, and educational manager of Innovamat in Latin America; have agreed on the importance of creating a problem-solving environment in the mathematics classroom through teacher management, which must generate learning opportunities. “Our job is not to transmit knowledge, but to guide students through deduction and propose the appropriate activities at all times so that students can discover mathematical concepts and learn to be mathematically competent,” Morera explained. 

The Innovamat academic specified that to achieve this, the socio-emotional part of the students must be taken into account, avoiding possible blockages and the anxiety that is sometimes generated with mathematics. “An example could be encouraging all students to have a moment of mathematical glory, or suggesting low-floor activities, where everyone is invited and at the same time, high ceilings, so that they can also go beyond,” she stressed. Mitrovich, for his part, highlighted that "the key lies in the effective management of activities, in posing questions that encourage the student to explore and analyze, allowing them to discover mathematical concepts for themselves." 

Meanwhile, Patricio Felmer of the 2011 National Exact Sciences Award stated that “in any mathematics problem, decisions must be made,” and therefore it is relevant to provide a collaborative environment that allows for enriching interactions between teachers and students, and between students.”