Digital Diversions: Keeping the Focus on the Art of Teaching in the Mathematics Classroom

Childhood Education, 2005 by Griffin, John C

At this precise moment, my perception of academic research was transformed forever. Research, at least the qualitative variety I was conducting, was indeed an acutely human enterprise. It concerned the stories of people's lives and I knew that I had a sacred obligation to listen to those stories, to understand them deeply, and to retell them with integrity. I knew, unequivocally, that affirming, trusting relationships are the fibers that weave together students with extraordinary teachers.

Amy was emotionally distraught after telling her story, and so I encouraged her to either postpone the remainder of the interview or to take a long walk to gather her thoughts; she elected to take a walk. After she left the room, I sat motionless in my chair, frozen with the realization that my spirit had just been profoundly touched by another human being. I thought of Maya Angelou's poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and how it reminded me of Amy's tears and her longing for a teacher who truly cared.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

-Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)

When Amy returned 15 minutes later, I knew that her story would form the core of my work.

Amy had been traumatized by an event that shook her spirit and devastated her sense of self-efficacy. She had been denied an opportunity to experience mastery by a teacher who, apparently, had never taken the time to see herself, let alone her students, clearly. If technology diverts our attention away from the intrinsic significance of self-efficacy beliefs, then it becomes a destructive decoy. We must take "first things first" if we are to integrate the benefits of technology into our teaching. This process may not be easy.

John Kotter, Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School and author of Leading Change (1996), suggests that leaders can initiate change movements within their organizations by creating a sense of urgency. If Senator Glenn is accurate in his diagnosis of the present condition of mathematics and science education in the United States, then such a state of urgency does exist. Creating this sense of urgency often entails appealing to people's emotions in a compelling way. Stories such as Amy's accomplish this, as might passionate discussions about the nature of superior teaching. If I were leading this discussion, I would begin by reading Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach. If there is even the smallest kernel of passion left in a teacher's soul, this book will ignite it. I also suggest using the excellent study guide that accompanies The Courage to Teach, which could facilitate sincere conversation. These conversations would be a prelude to a more formal review of specific components of high-quality teaching, using Charlotte Danielson's work.

If we choose not to take the time to reflect on the nature of our teaching and of our relationships and, instead, focus on how to implement technology, we will be doing our students and ourselves a disservice. We will, perhaps, unknowingly create classroom environments where technical proficiency prospers while self-efficacy suffers. Consider, for a moment, the experience of the following teacher, who was reflecting on her fear of mathematics: