Seeing Math in the World

People are sometimes described as having a poetic heart or the eye of an artist.  These folks have a different perspective than others when they view the world; they look at events, images, relationships, and the daily happenings of life through a particular filter or lens.  These lenses may allow people to feel more deeply or experience life more fully than others.  

I frequently talk to parents and students about developing a math lens.  To be able to see the world and know that it can be represented in mathematical ways gives our students another perspective, similar in ways to the artist’s eye, that adds meaning and perspective to life.  Anyone who develops a math lens is likely to envision solutions that are not obvious to others and may understand the workings and complexities of the world in greater depth.

I ran across the following video the other day, and it startled me that it could describe my thoughts so much more clearly than my words.  Please take a a couple of minutes to watch it.

BEAUTY OF MATHEMATICS from PARACHUTES.TV on Vimeo.

While some of us are born with a greater ability and propensity to view the world through a mathematical lens, this lens can be developed and honed by everyone with practice.  We practice this skill frequently in our math classes by offering students images and video of everyday life and asking them to address it through a mathematical lens.  While they may not all become brilliant mathematicians, our hope is that developing this mathematical lens will enrich their lives.