By Jamie York. In this world we now find ourselves, how can we make lemonade from lemons? I believe that it starts with letting go of old preconceptions and being open to new possibilities.
When I first started Jamie York Math Academy and teaching online math classes for homeschoolers half a year before the onset of the Corona virus, I was skeptical about how effective it would be. Certainly, as a Waldorf educator, I was well aware of the detrimental effects that screens and technology can have on children’s development. So how is it even possible for me now to say that this year has been perhaps the best teaching I have ever done?
One thing was clear to me: it would be awful if the children only experienced a talking head on the computer screen. I needed to find a way for my students to experience a human element in my online courses. After all, isn’t human connection central to any meaningful education?
Although I do give lectures in my Math Academy classes, the real heart-and-soul of the Academy experience is the group work. Twice per week, our students connect fact-to-face with peers from different places in the world and engage in real mathematics – puzzles, problem-solving, and making mathematical discoveries. This is the human element. Before this year, I had never been able to have students learn from one another so successfully. Ironically, it was through online teaching that I was able to finally talk less and have my students do more on their own.
Now I can honestly say that a problem-solving and discovery-based approach to math is the best way to capture the students’ interest and motivate them to learn. If we can effectively engage students in learning in this way, the skills will naturally follow.
Even though our Math Academy was designed for homeschool families, as soon as the Covid-19 hit, schools around the world were forced to do online learning. I wanted to find a way to support these teachers and schools. So we made it possible for schools to join our Math Academy for a much-discounted rate. More than anything perhaps, joining the Math Academy relieved class teachers of part of their large burden, and allowed them to focus on other aspects of the curriculum, yet they still remained connected to their students’ math learning by serving as the Math Academy tutor for their class.
There is no doubt that good Waldorf math taught live by an inspiring human being is the best possible scenario. But as Waldorf schools face another year of uncertainty, whether they find themselves in physical buildings or in virtual classrooms, we are here to support Waldorf educators tasked with online teaching and families who believe homeschooling is their best option. Our Academy will continue to offer high quality math education that engenders enthusiasm for learning and develops mathematical thinking, making the best of our changing world.
Click here to learn more about the Jamie York Math Academy, online workshops, and many math resources.
When I first started Jamie York Math Academy and teaching online math classes for homeschoolers half a year before the onset of the Corona virus, I was skeptical about how effective it would be. Certainly, as a Waldorf educator, I was well aware of the detrimental effects that screens and technology can have on children’s development. So how is it even possible for me now to say that this year has been perhaps the best teaching I have ever done?
One thing was clear to me: it would be awful if the children only experienced a talking head on the computer screen. I needed to find a way for my students to experience a human element in my online courses. After all, isn’t human connection central to any meaningful education?
Although I do give lectures in my Math Academy classes, the real heart-and-soul of the Academy experience is the group work. Twice per week, our students connect fact-to-face with peers from different places in the world and engage in real mathematics – puzzles, problem-solving, and making mathematical discoveries. This is the human element. Before this year, I had never been able to have students learn from one another so successfully. Ironically, it was through online teaching that I was able to finally talk less and have my students do more on their own.
Now I can honestly say that a problem-solving and discovery-based approach to math is the best way to capture the students’ interest and motivate them to learn. If we can effectively engage students in learning in this way, the skills will naturally follow.
Even though our Math Academy was designed for homeschool families, as soon as the Covid-19 hit, schools around the world were forced to do online learning. I wanted to find a way to support these teachers and schools. So we made it possible for schools to join our Math Academy for a much-discounted rate. More than anything perhaps, joining the Math Academy relieved class teachers of part of their large burden, and allowed them to focus on other aspects of the curriculum, yet they still remained connected to their students’ math learning by serving as the Math Academy tutor for their class.
There is no doubt that good Waldorf math taught live by an inspiring human being is the best possible scenario. But as Waldorf schools face another year of uncertainty, whether they find themselves in physical buildings or in virtual classrooms, we are here to support Waldorf educators tasked with online teaching and families who believe homeschooling is their best option. Our Academy will continue to offer high quality math education that engenders enthusiasm for learning and develops mathematical thinking, making the best of our changing world.
Click here to learn more about the Jamie York Math Academy, online workshops, and many math resources.
