Multi-cultural mathematicsMulti-cultural mathematics

Benedicte BosrupBenedicte Bosrup

Center of education in LarvikCenter of education in Larvik

NorwayNorway

School of Norwegian languageSchool of Norwegian language

BucurestiBucuresti 27 October 27 October 20062006

OutlineOutline• IntroductionIntroduction

• Multicultural mathematicsMulticultural mathematics

• BackgroundBackground

• Language and mathematicsLanguage and mathematics

• Parents as the main resourceParents as the main resource

• SummarySummary

Who are we?Who are we?

““Centrum” school for children Centrum” school for children and youthand youth

• Includes two primary-schools and Includes two primary-schools and

one lower secondary school:one lower secondary school:

- ““Torstrand” and “Byskogen primary Torstrand” and “Byskogen primary school”school”

-- “Mesterfjellet lower secondary school”“Mesterfjellet lower secondary school”

””Center of education in Center of education in Larvik”Larvik”

• ””School of Norwegian language”School of Norwegian language”

-- A school for immigrants and refugees who has to learn A school for immigrants and refugees who has to learn Norwegian and Norwegian and Norwegian cultureNorwegian culture

-- Specially groups for mother and child for learning Norwegian Specially groups for mother and child for learning Norwegian togethertogether

-- Groups for youths 16-20 years where they can take their exams Groups for youths 16-20 years where they can take their exams for for further studiesfurther studies

• ””The World champion”The World champion”

-- A school for children of immigrants and refugees who just has A school for children of immigrants and refugees who just has arrived arrived to Norwayto Norway

Our surroundingsOur surroundings

Multicultural mathematicsMulticultural mathematics

BackgroundBackground

• International studies shows that students International studies shows that students with a minority language has lower score with a minority language has lower score in mathematics than other students with in mathematics than other students with the majority language.the majority language.

• Parents with minority background has a Parents with minority background has a tendency to disappear from the activities tendency to disappear from the activities at schoolat school

Why?Why?

• LanguageLanguage

• Cultural differencesCultural differences

• FearFear

Language and mathematicsLanguage and mathematics

belongs to each other belongs to each other

Jim CumminsJim Cummins

• BICSBICSBasic Interpersonal Communication SkillsBasic Interpersonal Communication Skills

• CALPCALPCognitive Academic Language ProficiencyCognitive Academic Language Proficiency

What we need for understandingWhat we need for understandingmathematics aremathematics are::

• ConceptsConcepts

• ExperiencesExperiences

• CapabilityCapability

• Logical thinkingLogical thinking

• TranslatingTranslating

• UnderstandingUnderstanding

Communication in mathematicsCommunication in mathematics

CommunicationCommunicationin mathematicsin mathematics

• AbstractionsAbstractions

• SymbolsSymbols

The practical wayThe practical way

• To see the connectionsTo see the connections

• To recognize what's famousTo recognize what's famous

• To translate the language into a To translate the language into a

mathematical languagemathematical language

What are the children doing of What are the children doing of mathematics?mathematics?

• They countThey count

• They make rulesThey make rules

• They compareThey compare

• They know what is fair and unfair They know what is fair and unfair

Ethno-mathematicsEthno-mathematics

• Where did it all start?Where did it all start?

• PythagorasPythagoras

• The Maya-peoples mathematicsThe Maya-peoples mathematics

Mathematics in all culturesMathematics in all cultures

• CountingCounting

• GamesGames

• Hand-craftHand-craft

• CookingCooking

Focus at school:Focus at school:

• Which countries are represented in Which countries are represented in the class?the class?

• How is the math in those countries?How is the math in those countries?

• Children thinks it is very exciting to Children thinks it is very exciting to learn perhaps math in Arabian. learn perhaps math in Arabian.

Our thoughtsOur thoughts

• Creating models in teaching children with Creating models in teaching children with two languages.two languages.

• Establish good areas for planning and Establish good areas for planning and evaluation in education of children from the evaluation in education of children from the minorities.minorities.

• Give the students and their parents pride of Give the students and their parents pride of their culture.their culture.

Parents Parents

as the as the

main resourcemain resource

In our schools we want to:In our schools we want to:

• Educate the parents so they can be Educate the parents so they can be able to help their children by:able to help their children by:

– Motivating and being important Motivating and being important supporters.supporters.

– Giving knowledge about how we teach Giving knowledge about how we teach at school.at school.

How?How?

• Cooperate school and family.Cooperate school and family.

• Training mathematics in the mother Training mathematics in the mother tongue.tongue.

• Change some assumptions for how we Change some assumptions for how we teach in mathematics.teach in mathematics.

HomeworkHomework

International meeting for International meeting for parentsparents

• We invite all the parents with We invite all the parents with minority background at our schools minority background at our schools to a meeting.to a meeting.

CooperatingCooperating

Family

School Culture Identity

Organize supporters in Organize supporters in homework:homework:

• Each school has their own homework Each school has their own homework groupgroup

• Managed by a professional Managed by a professional homework teacher and voluntary homework teacher and voluntary helpershelpers

The school and the teachersThe school and the teachers

• They need to cooperate and have the They need to cooperate and have the child and it’s family in focuschild and it’s family in focus

Cooperation at Cooperation at schoolschool

Math-teacher

Double-lingualteacher

Teacher in

second language

Our projectOur project Multi-cultural

mathematics

Educatingparents in how to help

children with mathematics

Homeworkproject

and serving of a warm meal

Educating bilingual teachers

in how to teach

mathematics

Let theparents

be involved and included in the school

Professionalhomework-

groupsat school

Steering Committee

Project groupwith teachers in mother

tongue, math, second language from each school and the project leader

Our intensionOur intension

• Better mathematical understanding for Better mathematical understanding for bilingual childrenbilingual children

• Consciousness for the parents in how Consciousness for the parents in how they can help and support their childrenthey can help and support their children

• To create a good dialog between family To create a good dialog between family and school about the child's leveland school about the child's level

Our intensions for the Our intensions for the teachers:teachers:• Better education of teachers in how Better education of teachers in how

to teach in a bilingual perspectiveto teach in a bilingual perspective– second language second language – mother tongue mother tongue – mathematicsmathematics

• How to teach mathematics with a How to teach mathematics with a multicultural perspectivemulticultural perspective

Multi-cultural mathematics Multi-cultural mathematics SummarySummary

• Vision Vision – Every child has the right of good Every child has the right of good

education despite of their parents education despite of their parents ethnicity, economy, education or cultureethnicity, economy, education or culture

• Our strategy:Our strategy:– Develop our experiences with other Develop our experiences with other

schools schools – Develop the pride and respect for other Develop the pride and respect for other

culturescultures

Thank you Thank you for for

listening!listening!

benedicte.bostrup@larvik.kommune.nobenedicte.bostrup@larvik.kommune.no

Bucuresti 27 October 2006Bucuresti 27 October 2006