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Mathematics at Blake

Mathematics at Blake

Philosophy

The members of the Blake mathematics department are committed to creating a mathematical culture that is challenging, cohesive, supportive, and equitable. The department encourages students to appreciate the beauty and value of mathematics while they learn to use mathematical thinking to solve both pure and applied problems in a broad range of disciplines. The department values the process of searching for an answer as much as the solution itself, and incorporates discourse, inquiry-based investigation, guided exploration, and active, student-motivated learning. The mathematics department is unified by a common goal of inculcating joy, enthusiasm, and a love of mathematics while appropriately responding to issues of self-esteem, gender equity, math anxiety, and individual student needs.

Students engaged in mathematics at The Blake School begin by visualizing the problem before them, and then question, analyze, evaluate, generalize, and synthesize the information at hand. Working both independently and collaboratively, young mathematicians use manipulatives as appropriate to support their mathematical thinking, and then make effective use of mathematical language and symbols to communicate their ideas in written, symbolic, and verbal form; they apply multiple problem-solving strategies to a wealth of rich quantitative and qualitative queries; and they become proficient at interpreting and manipulating numerical, graphical, algebraic, geometric, statistical, and technological methods. They demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence in their ability to interpret and solve increasingly complex problems; they take risks, view problems as opportunities instead of obstacles, persevere in their search for solutions, and regard mathematics as a collaborative rather than a competitive endeavor.

The members of the department believe that, as a result of this culture of mathematics, students develop a strong foundation for spatial and symbolic mathematics. They become self-directed, lifelong learners and responsible world citizens, confident in undertaking tasks requiring a mathematical perspective.

Read about Blake's math program in:
Discrete Systems: The Art of Math
Upper School students illustrate mathematical concepts, and the results are nothing short of works of art.
Celtic Knots, Broccoli and Cézanne - Feature, Parent News, September 2008
Why Problem Solving? - Bearometer, October 2010.
At Blake, It's Cool to Love Math - Parent News, March 2011
Faculty Spotlight: Ina Loobeek, Parent News, February 2011
Definitely Not Your Traditional Math Teacher, Parent News, May/June 2011