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Celebrating Mathematical Mistakes
How to Use Students’ Thinking to Unlock Understanding
Divided into two parts, Celebrating Mathematical Mistakes aims to explore why mistakes matter in mathematics and share types of mistakes made in mathematics classrooms, along with mistakes made by mathematicians. It then supports shifting to asset-based views of mistakes by supplying practical tools that encourage productive mathematical mistakes from students.
Celebrate mathematics mistakes
In this practical guide, authors Wessman-Enzinger and Gerstenschlager provide a foundation for celebrating mathematical mistakes and offer several strategies and task structures that encourage creative and flexible mathematical reasoning. Part of the Growing the Mathematician in Every Student collection, this book moves beyond the correct–incorrect paradigm by acknowledging the beauty, power, and ubiquity of mistakes, supporting more meaningful student learning.
This book will help educators:
- Learn three types of mistakes and their roles in mathematical reasoning
- Understand how mathematical errors encourage creativity
- Support students’ invented notation and language as demonstrations of their learning
- Apply strategies and task structures with real-life vignettes
- Reflect on chapter content with prompts
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Additional Information
“Celebrating Mathematical Mistakes celebrates students’ thinking and honors the strengths that each student brings to the classroom. The authors are intentional in helping the reader reflect on their conceptions of making ‘mistakes’ and provide helpful examples and narratives that allow educators to grow in their understanding of mistakes as opportunities to be curious.”
“This book honors the idea that learning mathematics is a process that includes revising our thinking. Every student deserves opportunities to experience learning as a journey, not a destination.”
“Wessman-Enzinger and Gerstenschlager remind mathematics educators that when students make mistakes, they learn. Their insightful approach to embracing and celebrating these mistakes brings a sense of fun and wonder back into the subject.”
