[Maths-Education] London Knowledge Lab Seminar - Richard Lesh - 1st March 2007, 5.30pm

[Phillip Kent]

*** ALL WELCOME ** PLEASE CIRCULATE **
*


**

*Models & Modeling Perspectives
on Scientific Inquiry and Mathematical Problem Solving*

*by
Richard Lesh
Rudy Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences
Indiana University*

*Thursday 1st March 2007, 5.30pm – 7.00pm
London Knowledge Lab, 23 – 29 Emerald St, WC1N 3QS*

**Science educators speak about teaching scientific inquiry. Mathematics
educators speak about teaching problem solving (or problem solving
strategies, metacognitive processes, or habits of mind). Professor Lesh
focuses on the fact, that in virtually every field where researchers have
investigated differences between experts and novices, experts not only
*do*things differently than novices, but they also
*see* (or interpret) things differently. In particular, he will introduce
research done over many years on "models & modeling perspectives" (MMP)
about the nature of understandings and abilities that are needed for success
in "real life" situations where some type of mathematical thinking is needed
for success. He will comment on the relationships with scientific inquiry
and problem solving and the important ways that MMP is significantly
different from both. He will also describe some important ways that the
knowledge and the abilities that students develop tend to be significantly
different depending on whether learning activities focus on:

• *making mathematics practical* – first, guiding students along
(necessarily narrow) conceptual trajectories toward a textbook's (or
teacher's) cleaned-up version of the meaning of the relevant concepts or
abilities; and second, applying what was taught in "realistic" situations;
or

• *making practice mathematical* – first, putting students in simulations of
real life sensemaking situations where they "express > test > revise" their
own relevant ways of thinking. Second, analyzing, decontextualising,
systematising, and formalising student-generated conceptual tools to endow
them with more elegance, power, sharability, and reusability.

Examples of the latter approach will be presented and analysed.

Further information:
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&Itemid=27&agid=72&year=2007&month=03&day=01

All welcome. No reservation required, but an email to
l.andrew at ioe.ac.ukwould be appreciated.
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