Cilli-Turner, Emily

El Turkey, Houssein

Karakok, Gulden

Savic, Milos

Tang, Gail

English

Scholarship@Claremont

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Volume 10 | Issue 2 July 2020 Special Issue -- Creativity in Mathematics: Foreword Emily Cilli-Turner University of La Verne Houssein El Turkey University of New Haven Gulden Karakok University of Northern Colorado Milos Savic University of Oklahoma Gail Tang University of La Verne Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm  Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, and the Mathematics Commons Recommended Citation Cilli-Turner, E. El Turkey, H. Karakok, G. Savic, M. and Tang, G. "Special Issue -- Creativity in Mathematics: Foreword," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 10 Issue 2 (July 2020), pages 3-5. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.202002.03 . Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol10/iss2/3 ©2020 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. JHM is an open access bi-annual journal sponsored by the Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences and published by the Claremont Colleges Library | ISSN 2159-8118 | http://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/ The editorial staff of JHM works hard to make sure the scholarship disseminated in JHM is accurate and upholds professional ethical guidelines. However the views and opinions expressed in each published manuscript belong exclusively to the individual contributor(s). The publisher and the editors do not endorse or accept responsibility for them. See https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/policies.html for more information. Special Issue – Creativity in MathematicsForewordEmily Cilli-TurnerDepartment of Mathematics, University of La Verne, California, USAecilli-turner@laverne.eduHoussein El TurkeyDepartment of Mathematics & Physics, University of New Haven, Connecticut, USAHElTurkey@newhaven.eduGulden KarakokSchool of Mathematical Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, USAGulden.Karakok@unco.eduMilos SavicDepartment of Mathematics, University of Oklahoma, USAsavic@ou.eduGail TangDepartment of Mathematics, University of La Verne, California, USAgtang@laverne.eduOur special issue was motivated by our passion for mathematical creativ-ity. We believe that creativity is both valued by mathematicians and not al-ways explicitly discussed in classrooms. It is often hidden within the processof doing homework problems or proving theorems. As many educators recog-nize, students at every level have mathematical creative potential that can berepresented in many non-routine forms (e.g., new solution approaches, differ-ent representations, metaphors of concepts, etc.). The authors in our specialissue have pushed the mathematical creativity literature in unexpected andexciting directions, and we are thankful for their gift of ideas.Journal of Humanistic Mathematics Volume 10 Number 2 (July 2020)There are articles in this special issue that reconceptualize and challengedefinitions of mathematical creativity. Riling presents the Creative Mathe-matical Action Framework that is both grounded in previous literature andsituates the definition of mathematics towards the actions of a student inthe classroom environment. The focus on how multicultural aspects can in-fluence students’ collective creativity is represented with the works of bothAdiredja and Zandieh and Dominguez et al. Culture and proof intersect inBalaji’s article, where they present a thesis that Raaga improvisation andproving require a similar mathematical creativity. Fetterly examines howmath creativity, beliefs, and anxiety can influence one another, while Bly-man et al. focus on a rubric to capture creative actions in problem solving.Finally, Moore-Russo et al. research problem posing and categorized students’created tasks in terms of the mathematical creativity literature.Our authors showcased a wide array of projects that can foster creativityin many different classroom environments. Some focused on the instruc-tor perspective, providing details on implementation and facilitation. Forexample, Arney et al. thoroughly describe a tertiary, introductory, creativeproblem solving course. Fung and Hollander give their views on how a math-ematics and an English professor co-taught classes where students createdelementary mathematics children’s books. Adams reports on students’ workin three creativity-fostering projects in an undergraduate statistics class andthe instructor rubric for assessment. Finally, Marciniak describes projects inupper-level courses inspired by mentoring undergraduate research projects.It’s not only paper or book projects, but physical manipulatives can gen-erate mathematical creativity. Hodge et al. discuss TACTivity derivativerefrigerator magnets and benefits of tactile objects in generating creativ-ity. Monahan et al. discuss the unique nature of mathematics and creativitywith juggling, and Selbach-Allen et al. argue for how a nautilus shell can be agolden spiral. There is a computer program designed to explicate the math-ematics and creativity of Japanese temari created and discussed by Giuffreand Stemkoski. Wangberg reports on the ways in which a carefully designedmultivariable calculus course provided opportunities for students to showcasetheir mathematical creativity through the act of conjecturing. Finally, Dick-man and Nauman provide details of a Tromino project designed to fostermathematical creativity among students with details on implementation andstudent work. They bring up the notion of mathematical code switching inan attempt to break down reductive language used in classrooms.4A couple of the articles in the special issue provide an overview of theexpert approach to mathematical creativity. Graham-Squire hypothesizes atheorem and provided their creative mathematical process to explore a proofof this theorem. This paper serves as an example of an expert process ofcreating original mathematics. In another article, Shahbazi et al. provide adiscussion of the design and implementation of mathematical departmentalpublications. The authors argue that this platform fostered students’ creativ-ity and written communication skills, and highlights how we can go beyondthe classroom to utilize institutional support to foster creativity. Delventoweaves the humanity of mathematical creativity in their two poems, bring-ing awareness of “emotional well-being through the lens of mathematics andlogic.”We thank Gizem Karaali and Mark Huber for allowing us the opportunityfor guest editing this special issue. It is indeed special — all of these authorsworked quite hard to produce such high-quality articles. We urge you tothink and re-think about your own views of mathematical creativity andways you can incorporate them in the classroom.Sincerely,The Creativity Research GroupEmily Cilli-Turner, University of La VerneHoussein El Turkey, University of New HavenGail Tang, University of La VerneGulden Karakok, University of Northern ColoradoMilos Savic, University of Oklahoma5

Special Issue -- Creativity in Mathematics: Foreword

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1795&amp;context=jhm

Special Issue -- Creativity in Mathematics: Foreword

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Scholarship@Claremont