1. Liberating Agency and Transforming Competence through Mathematical Play
- Author
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Melissa Gresalfi, Madison Knows, and Jamie Vescio
- Abstract
Many scholars have argued that mathematics classrooms often offer narrow conceptions of mathematical excellence, recognizing only some kinds of thinking and some kinds of people as valuable, and conflating mathematical aptitude with overall intelligence. Play offers the potential to disrupt such classroom mathematical practices, by offering new and broader ways to exercise agency, and, relatedly, more expansive visions of who is seen as mathematically capable. Offering an in-depth analysis of the participation of two students as they engage in mathematics in their Kindergarten class, whole group rug time and small group play centers, we investigate how different activity structures create space for students to exercise agency in ways that demonstrate multiple forms of competence, creating liberating mathematical spaces. [For the complete proceedings, see ED658295.]
- Published
- 2023