An example of the pairing of cultural narratives, and math concepts, for better math education.

An example of the pairing of

cultural narratives,

and math concepts,

for better math education.

The concept that I illustrate with this drawing is how to remember which symbols, to use when drawing number lines, with varying types of notation. I can't even count how many elementary and intermediate student's I have used this drawing on in the last several years of tutoring. The great thing is that this technique for illustrating the principle is simple to use, and works with near complete success. I have not had a single student come back to me and tell me they forgot how this principle works after I show them this doodle.

Before I continue, I will mention that this is doodle is intended as a portfolio of some of the work I have done as a Professional Math Tutor. As I work in a public tutoring, lab, my use of certain copyrighted character's in my explanations of math concepts, is the very definition of 'fair, educational use' as allowed by and consistent with United States law. It is in that context that I use Velma, left, and Shaggy, right from 'Scooby Doo' in my doodle to explain how to use parenthesis, inequalities, and filled or closed dot's correctly when switching from number lines to interval notation

Jinkies! Zoinks!

After showing my student's this image, usually drawn on the spot on scrap paper, I usually start to explain how Velma on the left has a closed circle, for a eye, as typical of a closed dot on a number line, an inequality sign with a line under it for less than or equal to symbol, and a square bracket for a body for notation purposes. I than explain that Shaggy on the right, has an open eye for use on a number line, an inequality symbol for a mouth for use in notation, and a normal parenthesis for a body for use with notation. I give them a short paragraph about how Velma is a logical character, hence the “hard bracket” (she always wore that sweater, and doubted the ghosts were real) and Shaggy is a more rounded character (who was skinny and had a talking dog) After this explanation and doodle, I find my students as mentioned above understand how to use which kind of bracket and inequality sign after seeing a number line instantly. They can even draw the doodle themselves if they need a reminder, as the point of using Scooby-Doo is to attach a math concept to an incredibly fond childhood memory. It doesn't even have to be Shaggy and Velma. It used to be Mulder and Scully from the X-files, but I found them to be less well known to younger students, and hence less usable.

In addition to telling you that this doodle, works I can also tell you some of the research that has been done to why it works. Pavlov, and Skinner two of the most influential researchers of the past century have the answer here. The applicable concept here is Pairing, the concept that a existing, reinforcing stimuli (in Pavlov's case, food for dogs) is then paired with a neutral stimuli (in Pavlov's case, a bell) so that over time they are so closely associated with the subject that upon presentation of the neutral stimuli, the reinforcing stimuli is anticipated. (in Pavlov's case, the dogs drooled, on hearing the bell, as they knew they were going to eat soon before they saw their meal.)

With that background information in mind, this is my explanation for why the doodle works. I am pairing, a doodle that explains a math concept about number lines, simultaneously with a verbal description of me explaining the concept, and the student's own pleasant, internal memories of two widely beloved cartoon characters. As many have noted, from psychologists, to parents, to Mary Poppins have noted, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” My using cultural narratives, as sugar, to teach math, which for many children and adults is as bitter as medicine, is one of my personal strengths as a one-on-one mathematics tutor.