I arrived after a restless night of travel. It’s brisk with a little snow on the ground. I took it easy today. Coffee at Tim Hortons, a session on active learning, a lovely keynote by Peter Liljedahl, and a meal sharing small plates with friends, both old and new.
Quick lessons from the day: Not everyone feels safe or supported introducing active pedagogies in their classroom. There are many different interpretations of active learning. To be done well requires scaffolding for both students and facilitators. Active learning needs to be an embedded practice that replaces classic teaching modalities—not something that is in addition to “lecture” in the last 15 minutes. It can build powerful communities of trust, collaboration, and learning.
If you are in Toronto, consider coming to my talk tomorrow (Friday), 10:20 am ET in the Civic Ballroom South (Sessions S045). It will be a change of pace and worth your time. I promise a high energy mathematical performance. And I’m looking forward to making new friends.
Math in the Time of Corona 