This video clip depicts the powerful scene that partially inspired this work. It was also inspired by the work at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland, specifically the Children as Design Partners work.

Along with my student teacher, Laura Grabarschich, we were brainstorming ways for students to deepen their thinking about fraction operations (specifically, adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with different denominators as required for 6th graders by the state of Texas). We began with the question stem of “Can you create a __________ to __________.” We had been working with many physical and virtual manipulatives during our fraction operations work and it seemed like the next likely step for students to create something of their own to represent their fraction operation knowledge. However, like the scientists at NASA in the video clip, our thinking is particularly challenged when we have interesting and unusual objects with which to design and create. Thus, this work was designed to fill shoe boxes with those types of found objects. Students use those objects to create something that represents their learning about a mathematical topic. This work is not about students taking on the role of a teacher and teaching others about a mathematical concept. Rather, it is about students becoming inventors and designers, creating something with a small group of others that then can be used as an analogy for their mathematical concept under study.

See the first post The beginning to learn more. More special thanks to Dr. Sheri Vasinda who helped form the work by participating with me in designing the first creation and relating it to her own mathematical thinking about fraction operations! Sheri is a thought-provoking and courageous teacher and researcher.

This is evolving work and we would welcome any comments and conversation! Please feel free to email me at julie at juliemcleod dot org.