Maps and Models

        The most interesting part of the article for me was the break-down of what a map is because it changed my perspective about how a map can represent the world around us in different ways. I always took a map for face value and never questioned whether it was truly an accurate representation of space between two points. For example, direction and distance is skewed since the world is round. Another point made that resonated with me was that different maps exist to serve different purposes – as mentioned in the example of the subway map. What a map is a representation of depends on what is significant. In addition, I found it interesting how knowledge is so well-kept among navigators. It reminded me of how mathematics was once viewed in ancient civilizations where only those who were worthy were given knowledge. 

        Embodied mathematics is significant in the history of mathematics because the creation of mathematical ideas is rooted in curiosity and the want to understand the physical world around us. Connecting to the reading, mathematics is how we translate, map, and model our experiences and what we see in our environment. Sticking with this theme, secondary students can use models and diagrams to represent mathematical ideas. Further, including place-based learning where students can connect math to their physical world can also be a form of embodied mathematics. I think student relationship with mathematics would be improved greatly if educators are able to help them shift their perspective from mathematics as just a school subject, to mathematics as a way of representing their world and abstractions. 

Asher, M. (1995). Models and Maps from the Marshal Islands: A Case in Ethnomathematics. Historia Mathematica, vol. 22, pp. 347 –370.