Math Classrooms Should Be Places of Surprise and Wonder | Matthew Oldridge | TEDxChathamKent

Does pi ever end? Is infinity a number? What interesting patterns can you find in the times tables? Where is math found in the world around us?
Math classrooms should be open spaces for thinking, always. Students should be exposed to the beauty and wonder of mathematics. Should we teach math through worksheets, or wonderings? In his fifteen years of teaching mathematics, Matthew has come to see that kids will surprise you with the power of their mathematical thinking, always, if you let them.
This talk is about Matthew’s vision for mathematics teaching and learning in the 21st century. Our children and students deserve mathematics classrooms that are wide open spaces for thinking about big, important, mathematical ideas. Mathematics classrooms should be places of surprise, and wonder, always!
Matthew has been teaching mathematics with the Peel District School Board for fifteen years. Married, with two children, 4 and 6, he lives in Mississauga. He is currently a “resource teacher of effective mathematics” in Peel, and spends most of his time thinking about how best kids learn mathematics. In his work in his own classrooms, and with the Ontario Ministry of Education (LearnTeachLead), he has come to see the power in letting kids lead, accessing their powerful thinking, and making classrooms places of surprise and wonder.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@Wissenskontor]

They ARE Places of Surprised and wonder. Students are always surprised by the topic and wonder what the teacher means.

[@liskl5982]

The ability make change derives from a sense of numbers. Having number sense allows people to do mental math (no paper / no calculator). Number sense is still important.

[@FrankHarwald]

"pythagorean shortcut" is a very rarely used term for what is more often called the triangle inequality :|

[@elianeluty2065]

thank you very much

[@kathleenlang3747]

Math is sometimes a way to describe the indescribable, isn’t it? To me, math is a way of making beautiful patterns that are larger and larger or smaller and smaller than small. It’s a way of moving those beautiful patterns around quickly.

[@haseebfaisal4011]

Mr. Oldridge! -Haseeb

[@matthewoldridge1481]

Oh my! How are thinks, my Haseebly friend?

[@willday980]

The Mathematicians will never allow this to happen.

[@jonaebaskin675]

The penny example confused me lol and I'm 22 :(