Exit Slip # 8: The Inquiry/Research Process

 There were some interesting perspectives brought up in today's discussions. There seemed to be a range of opinions when it came to facilitating creativity in terms of what should be allowed and what should be discouraged. I personally believe it's about definition. For example, if I say "all angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees," I am taking for granted some assumptions about what plane I am in. Of course, it would be tedious to mention all the stipulations to a concept when speaking about it but that's why laying ground rules and mentioning that there are other options out there is a good idea. If we show our students that most of what they know (reading, writing, math etc.) are through chosen conventions, this can broaden their perspectives and show them that there are more possibilities in the world besides the ones they are used to. That's why assigning inquiry or research projects would be a good idea - that way students could explore these less conventional ideas or learn more about aspects of math that they are interested in. Letting them play around with mathematical ideas will not only allow them deeper understanding, but hopefully more investment in the content because they are developing a stronger background and asking questions they want answers to.