Reflection on Math Fair at West Point Grey Academy

Reflection on Math Fair at West Point Grey Academy
            It was the most engaging student's activity I have ever experienced.  The enthusiasm and energy most students showed were contagious. In all the tasks, I kept asking through mathematics, what one could do to keep winning and satisfy oneself in daily life experiences?  One student commented that this is the formulary government and employers deploy and keep on making the profit when doing business with the common public.  A student played with me and chose to be winning when the dice show 3, 4, or 5.  After about five minutes, I realized that the student kept on winning and paused for a moment and said that the game is not fair.  Before she replied, her friend asked me why?  It made me realize that they are prepared and know exactly the meaning of the game.  Some games were very fair, but still, one could play severally and fail to win. It gave students a chance to be creative like the one boy who had a funnel-like hole, and one ends up tumbling a dice into different drawn portions full of varying world environmental awareness and social injustices. 

            The activities to a considerable extent epitomized the social justice education, critical mathematics education, and culturally responsive pedagogical ideas.  In my experience in teaching, my students sat at least 60% during an 85-minute class.  The reason was that I did most of the thinking in the class while they did the routine and skill work.  I need to work hard to create a classroom, which mimics the one I saw at West Point Grey Academy.

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