imagery & visual stimuli in mathematics mark hennessy staff elearning co-ordinator presbyterian...

Imagery & Visual Stimuliin Mathematics

Mark Hennessy Staff eLearning co-ordinator

Presbyterian Ladies’ College Melbournemhennessy@plc.vic.edu.au

Supporting Film and Video production for WMR Re@ct to Maths projectMay 18, 2009

Text

The AHA momentSudden HIGH FREQUENCY BRAINWAVES – are a unique symbol of an original thought in the human mind - the moment when ‘we understand something’ or ‘make a connection’.SIMULATION:Brainwaves are monitored when a person is presented with the study of an optical illusion. Brainwaves are low when the illusion remains visually perplexing, but brainwaves increase significantly at the moment when the illusion is uncovered / cleared and the illusion is no longer an illusion – this is the AHA moment!

Professor Robert Winston – How the Mind Works (2006 BBC Documentary)

A Visual Mathematician

Visual Stimulus in Maths

• be an aide to the learning process / plan

• reinforce abstract concepts / processes

• enliven, enhance illuminate thinking

• provide a concrete experience of concept / process

• help the learner to make a connection

• build numeracy

The visual stimulus should:

Patterns Architecture

Engage

•In creating / presenting your movie, consider the above ..... in reference to below

Provide an experience of mathematics teaching & learning via digital movie-making

EntertainEnthrallEnthuse

Draw creative power of digital movie-making & apply to mathematical

investigations.

CreativityCreativity

Creativity and InventionCONTEXT:Creativity is one of the most powerful higher order thinking domains in Benjamin Blooms Taxonomy (revised)

Film Genres to consider for this

project:•Documentary

•Narrative / Story

•Demonstration

•Interview

•Analysis

•Action / Drama / Comedy

Scenarios

Problem Solving •Consider a problem solving

element in your planning

•Will you deliver or reveal the solution to the problem? If so, how?

•In this way your project may be like an optical illusion - gradually dispelling the eye-trickery

History of Mathematics

•Famous mathematicians - Biography

•Digital Storytelling

•Story of a mathematical concept (e.g. Pascal’s Triangle, Fibonacci Sequence)

Real World Context

•Link a real-world context to a mathematical concept / study

Examples?

Link to an example movie

Federation Square example

Math Chants & Raps

•Consider a maths rap or jingle to accompany or trail your movie for an added impression.

Possible topics

Wordle Word-cloudhttp://www.wordle.net/create

ResearchSource Print Media for your content

My VISUAL / lateral thinking Bibles:

The Art of Looking Sideways Alan Fletcher Phaidon Publishing

$65

ResearchSource Print Media for your content

My VISUAL / lateral thinking Bibles:

A Smile in the MindBeryl McAlhone David Stuart Phaidon Publishing

$65

Research

Digital media - WMR Wiki

https://wmrict.wikispaces.com/Film+Making