Mathematics for Human Flourishing

Francis Su’s opinion about the purpose of learning mathematics is so interesting that prompted me to watch his online presentation.  During his talk, he gave some powerful examples of how people love mathematics.  One example was a person went back to university to study mathematics at age of 40 and sitting with students who were half of his age.  It was not anything, but curiosity for mathematics that brought him back to university to take classes.  Another example was from the reading.  An inmate Christopher who self-studied mathematics in prison.  Living in an adverse circumstance, Christopher did not have the opportunity to truly enjoy education as other children did.  However, his love and desire toward mathematics had made him study many higher-level math courses, not for practicality, but for flourishing his mind.  They are persons who truly appreciate the beatify of mathematics, who see mathematics as a way of flouring their human minds.

Francis Su believed that “all of us have the capacity to embrace the wonder, power, and responsibility of mathematics by nourishing our affection for it”.  However, our way of learning and teaching mathematics is not for that purpose. Throughout their years of sitting in a math class, students are constantly reminded the importance of doing well on quizzes or tests, and how their final grades affect their future academic or career path.  When the objective of learning is not of learning the knowledge itself, students either quickly lose the interests and desire in learning, or only study for the purpose of have a high grade.  Following this path, we neither cultivate students’ affection toward mathematics, nor do we nurture thinking individuals.  As a new teacher, I apricate the critical point made by Francis Su in this reading that “mathematics is for human flourishing”, and would like to think deeply how to make my teaching more meaningful.

What does “every being cries out silently to be read differently” mean?

My understanding is that every student is different. We, as teachers, are obligated to help our students find and recognize their individual talent. We then need to encourage them to see through their talent and strive to reach their potentials.