Math, Writing, Housing, and Hurricane Katrina
Yesterday we wrote about practical applications of math from a mathematician's point of view. Here's a story about math from a student's point of view, integrating it with writing, Hurricane Katrina, and a Habitat for Humanity service project. To quote from the story:
Two University of Minnesota General College professors recently integrated the seemingly disparate subjects of math and writing in a learning community, a progressive educational model that will be a signature feature in General College's successor department [to be called the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning] in the College of Education and Human Development.Learning communities engage students by linking courses, providing students with integrated learning opportunities and increased interaction with their instructors and peers. Last fall, 18 first-year students took part in a learning community taught by Irene Duranczyk, assistant professor of mathematics, and Amy Lee, associate professor of writing, who linked their courses with a Habitat for Humanity service project.
Students in this learning community explored how Hurricane Katrina's devastation redefined housing and housing issues in New Orleans. They gathered and analyzed demographic data on New Orleans and used algebraic expressions and concepts to develop statistics such as residents' race, ethnicity, income, and size of household. With their newly developed mathematical thinking, students gained a broader understanding of the unfolding stories about housing for New Orleans residents in Katrina's aftermath. The students then had an opportunity to put their newfound knowledge into practice. Along with professors Duranczyk and Lee, the students participated in a Habitat for Humanity build taking place in the Heritage Park housing development in north Minneapolis. They learned how to frame and raise internal walls and finish external framing. They used algebraic formulas in order to measure, determine angles and lines, and to proof their work.
This is a nice example of how so many things can come together in publicly-engaged teaching and learning: interdisciplinary approaches, new educational methods, and real world applications.