What is The Celebration Series?
The Celebration Series is intended to remind all of us of the many Solution Spaces of mathematics learning that should be acknowledged. Why?
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So every student can find and secure a sense of belonging in the math learning environment.
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So every math educator can intentionally cultivate opportunities for students to engage in these Solution Spaces.
Students deserve to know that the journey to mathematical accuracy isn't linear or one-dimensional. The Celebration Series brings these elements front and center.
What are you waiting for?
Use our merch to celebrate inclusive math teaching and learning practices.
Help students know that there's more to math learning than a right answer.
What is Solution Spaces?
One day in 2023, I was helping my 10-year-old daughter with her math homework.
Her frustration came out of not being able to solve a particular problem quickly the first time she tried it. I coached her with some questions until she eventually solved it. I debriefed the process, confirming for her that it was okay for her not to know the answer right away--since that was temporary as long as she didn't quit--and the questioning helped her revise her thinking and solve the problem.
I held my arms wide and explained "You started here," while lifting my right hand. "And ended here," I said, raising my left hand. "Your processing happened in here," I nodded toward the space between my hands.
She smiled, waving her hand in the area between my hands, and squealed, "Ohhh, so this is my solution space!"
Thus began our referencing the time and actions it took for her to problem-solve as being in the "solution space".
It's like the space on a bridge, the space between a problem and its solution.
My daughter drew the company logo, the Solution Spaces bridge, which we hope serves as a reminder to you to create those opportunities for students to wrestle, productively struggle, cooperate, be wrong, begin again, and complete the task during their learning journey.
I'm sharing our mantra with you now to remind you to make students aware: there are lots of actions that can occur along a math solution path. Discourse, pondering, making mistakes, revising, strategizing, collaborating, and persevering should be part of every math student's learning experience. Students should learn math in environments that invite and celebrate these elements. Don't be afraid to #letTHEMspeak!
Help students know that there's more to math learning than a right answer!
