Introduction
It is important to note that Jo Boaler is a writer and educator who has received many prizes and awards. At the same time, the woman leads a movement that aims to change the way teachers and students think about mathematics and perceive it. Thus, during her speech at TEDx, she talked about the experiment she conducted at Stanford. Moreover, the speaker immediately announced that her students cried in order to interest people to listen and capture their attention. Hence, the experiment was performed with students who spent a lot of time studying algebra and really tried to improve their knowledge. However, the innovation was that Jo Boaler did not use standard tests to check their knowledge, but showed them a virtual picture with squares and assigned tasks.
Discussion
Interestingly, the students’ opinions were different, they believed that the squares grow horizontally, vertically, or proportionally. However, the speaker notes that two people in the group cried because they realized that the simple principle that explains the algebraic progression. Moreover, the tears were caused by the fact that these people spent many hours studying higher mathematics using standard methods, but most of them could not explain the arrangement of squares in the picture.
Then, the woman began to share her experience of studying at school, where children constantly learn new symbols and formulas, which makes them tired and afraid. Therefore, most of the students do not have enough knowledge of mathematics, because they consider this subject extremely difficult and boring. Instead, as a solution to this problem, Jo Boaler proposes to apply knowledge about the brain to make it easier to learn mathematics. Therefore, the speaker demonstrates a picture of the human brain and shows that two of the five brain pathways are visual. Thus, she showed that the brain can more easily perceive information that is difficult for it, which is presented with the help of pictures. In order to explain her argument, she gives an example of a rectangle and suggests using bright pictures to find all the rectangles depicted on them. The results show that this way is easier for perception and students offer many possible solutions. Thus, the use of visual mathematics is available to explain various topics, and resources for teacher or parent training can be found on the website of the university where Jo Boaler teaches.
In addition, the expert cites statistics as an argument for the effectiveness of virtual mathematics. Accordingly, a section with an attachment for studying visual mathematics appeared on the university’s website two years ago, and now almost three million teachers per month view these materials. This is because, in practice, teachers have become convinced that visual mathematics is a way to explain educational material to students in an accessible manner and to arouse their constant interest. Accordingly, this method allows to unlock the potential of even those students who believe that they do not have mathematical abilities. This is due to the fact that with the help of visual learning of mathematics, it is easier to solve complex problems and correct mistakes made, which provokes an increase in self-belief and self-confidence.
Thus, Jo Boaler explains why math can be such a difficult subject for some people, while other people can easily complete tasks. Moreover, she also shares the latest scientific research on the brain to demonstrate how mathematics is processed by the human brain. At the same time, the speaker demonstrated the importance of visual learning and the need for such a concept as self-confidence to obtain a positive experience of learning mathematics.
A Technique to Eliminate Math Anxiety
It is significant to mention that Dr. Katie Nall, who holds a PhD in philosophy, addressed the TEDx platform. At the same time, the speaker also has a mathematical education and received a doctorate in mathematics from the Florida Institute of Technology while working full-time. Therefore, the woman’s advice is extremely practical, because Dr. Katie Nall’s scientific research was based on the problems she faced in practice. Accordingly, the speaker, while writing her dissertation, studied the behavior of students who felt fear and anxiety in mathematics classes.
During the speech, the speaker with the use of humor notes that since childhood she loved and respected mathematics, but her students, even those who worked hard to pass the subject, hate this science. Hence, the speaker tried to give them mathematical advice, but this method did not bring the desired results. After that, the woman decided to explore a technique that helps to escape from anxiety caused by any other factors. The woman chose the technique of emotional freedom, which is a psychological method that enables people to get rid of negativity and unnecessary frameworks. Thus, they help to achieve the stated goal. At the same time, emotional freedom techniques are easy to use and require little time, although it is strictly individual. Dr. Katie Nall suggested her students apply this method in order to reduce fear and anxiety caused by mathematics.
The technique was to admit their mistakes and try to accept themselves with them. For this purpose, it is necessary to repeat the problematic moments, and in the end to note that you are safe. At the same time, it is crucial to tap on the points, moving along the same line, for example, the inner edge of the eyebrow, the outer corner of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, at the top of the chin, the junction of the collarbones, the top of the head. This is because there are harmonizing, calming, exciting, and signal points on the line, which all need to be activated. In addition, students who previously could not pass the subject, but now used this technique were able to overcome fear and received a satisfactory grade. Furthermore, Dr. Katie Nall notes that the students continued to use this tactic during their further studies, as they received successful outcomes.
Meanwhile, the speaker recalls cases when students thanked her for suggesting they try this technique. Some students hugged her, while others said that they also used her method outside the classroom. During the speech, the speaker also noted that this practice is common in many educational institutions, for example, in California, in some schools students and teachers allocate six waves a day to reduce stress and increase the ability of students to successfully complete school tasks. Moreover, the use of this technique is beneficial for students’ health. Since a large number of visits to doctors are associated with stress factors.
Conclusion
Hence, on the TEDx platform, Dr. Katie Nall offered a solution to eliminate math anxiety. At the same time, the speaker explained the importance of basic methods of dealing with other fears and worries. The emotional freedom technique is a powerful method of dealing with emotional problems that students often face when studying mathematics. Therefore, using the advice of a female is extremely valuable for people studying mathematics.