Joanna Masingila, dean of the School of Education and professor of mathematics education, appeared along with a panel of educational experts in a New York Times feature. Masingila, along with a half-dozen other educational professionals from the public and private sectors, participated in a discussion on teaching styles. Masingila was approached because of her expertise in teaching mathematics. Each expert was asked to watch a short video captured during an elementary mathematics lesson demonstrating a specific teaching style and then write a response to the question: Can this teaching style be effective in motivating and helping a student learn? Why or why not?
“Students’ mathematical thinking is something to be nurtured, not reprimanded. The Standards for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards call for students to be engaged in making sense of problems and persevering in solving them, and constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others. The type of environment that fosters these dispositions is one that allows for students to make mistakes and supports them in learning from these mistakes within a community of learners.”
Masingila’s reaction appears in an article titled “Experts Discuss the Success Academy Video.” The panel of experts are from different areas of study and include those from such institutions as Columbia and the City University of New York. “Participating in this roundtable discussion is a good opportunity to contribute, along with other educators, important ideas around the teaching and learning of mathematics,” says Dean Masingila.The panel of experts chosen will make for a well-rounded, smart discussion, says Amy Zerba, senior staff editor for the New York Times. The story appeared in the New York Times, online, on February 12, 2016.