It is not by knowing the Pythagorean theorem that free exercise of personal reasoning power is assured; it is in having rediscovered its existence and usage. The goal of intellectual education is not to know how to repeat or retain ready-made truths (a truth that is parroted is only a half-truth).
– Jean Piaget
{Want to read the book?} Purchase Piaget’s Memory and Intelligence (1973) here.
I’ll be the first to admit it: I didn’t really get Piaget when I was in college. I’ll also say that I didn’t really understand what Piaget meant for me as a first year teacher. Even still, I went on to spend a lot of time contemplating Piaget’s perspective on the mind. I fell in love with the Learning Cycle (3E, 5E, and 7E lessons) and also started to see in my students the need for them to create knowledge rather than mimic it. How do you create a classroom where students rediscover the existence and usage of the mathematics? How do you ensure personal reasoning power is gained by the student?
Please share your thoughts in the comments section!
