Turning Expected Mathematics to Deep Understanding and Human Joy with Dr. James Tanton

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Session Description

Many adults expect to see the mathematics with which they are familiar in the mathematics classrooms of today. Yet mathematics teaching of the 21st century cannot be solely about pencil-and-paper arithmetic and algorithms. We can, and should, couple that work of fostering clever agility of thought with developing the confidence to play with ideas and attend to challenges—and do so with the deep human joy mathematics can provide. So what is the balance between the expected—the needed—for the 21st-century, and the joy of deep learning and understanding? Let's explore some fundamental K–6 mathematics together and find out!

About the Presenter

James Tanton (PhD, Princeton) has taught mathematics both at university and high-school institutions. Today he writes books, advises on curriculum, consults with teachers, and gives demonstration classes and professional development sessions across the globe. He is an ambassador for the Mathematical Association of America in Washington, DC, chair of the Advisory Council for the National Museum of Mathematics, and a founder of the Global Math Project, an initiative to transform the entire world’s perception of what mathematics can, and should, be. This program has now reached over 6 million students and teachers across the planet.