THINKING
THROUGH
MATH A SENIOR THESIS BY PHUONG NGUYEN
RESEARCH: OBJECTIVE
Math is an important aspect in our daily lives. We use math in our daily lives whether we know it or not. Math is crucial to econmoic survival because leading jobs in the world such as engineering and medicine research requires a great amount of understanding the language of math. Due to the education’s system heavy focuse on test-taking and memorizations creativity in learning math have been stiffled. There is very little innovation that is fueled by curiosity involved in youth’s learning. It is important to reintroduce and tell the importance of creativity to the community to express the urgency of creative learning for math, resulting in the creative math learning center.
A creative math learning center that nurture children’s learning abilities through physical interpretation of curiosity, which will support an innovation learning environment that will foster life-long creative thinking skills.
RESEARCH: INFOGRAPHICS Math: a language numbers and their operations, MATH: a languageand and science science ofofnumbers and their operations,
interrelations, combinations, generalizations, and abstractions interrelations , combinations, generalizations, and abstractions and of space and of space configurations and their structure, measurement, configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations transformations.
2
IMMEDIATE IMMEDITATE PERCEPTION PERCEPTION
a+
2
b=c 2
INTIMIDATING INTIMIDATING DIFFICULT DIFFICULT CONFUSING CONFUSING
CRUCIAL TO CRUCIAL TO ECONOMIC ECONOMIC SURVIVAL SURVIVAL
GLOBAL GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS COMPETITIVENESS
RANKED RANKED 25TH 25TH NATIONALLY
2012 2012 Approximately of Approximately 81%81% of 50,000 students are from lowfrom income 50,000 students homes. low income homes. =1000 Student
Millions ofdollars dollars Millions of in in budget budget cuts for school cuts for schools aleady. already.
cutsofoffunding funding cuts meanscuts cutsof of means suppliesand and supplies supportfor for class class support
77.8%ofofgeneral general 77.8% funds are fund are used to used to fund students: support: • classroom classroom • texbook textbook
RESEARCH: STUDIES JEAN PIAGET LEARNINGTHEORY
??? PREOPERATIONAL
engage in symbolic play egocentric AGE 2-7
DEFINING CREATIVITY
CURIOSITY WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? WHY?
??? CONCRETE OPERATIONAL
?+?=? FORMAL OPERATIONAL
organized and rational thinking cannot think abstractly or hypothetically AGES 8-11 think abstractly order of reasoning imagine outcomes of actions AGES 12+
CREATIVITY IMAGINATION KNOWLEDGE EVALUATION
=
INNOVATION IMPLEMENTATION EXECUTION
RESEARCH: IMPLEMENTATION CURIOSITY
CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS
MATH
COLLABORATION
Can physical interpretation of a curios space help youth learn math in a collaborative way that create life-long creative thinking skills?
CASE STUDY: MOMATH
“The National Museum of Mathematics began in response to the closing of a small museum of mathematics on Long Island, the Goudreau Museum. A group of interested parties (the “Working Group”) met in August 2008 to explore the creation of a new museum of mathematics — one that would go well beyond the Goudreau in both its scope and methodology. Led by Glen Whitney, the group quickly discovered that there was no museum of mathematics in the United States, and yet there was incredible demand for hands-on math programming.” Accomplishments to date include creating the popular Math Midway exhibition, which is currently touring museums throughout the United States; leading math tours in various U.S. cities; the Math Encounters presentation series; delivering programs for students, teachers, and the public to increase appreciation of mathematics; and raising over $22 million to date.
The mission of Museum of Mathematics
“Mathematics illuminates the patterns that abound in our world. The National Museum of Mathematics strives to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics. Its dynamic exhibits and programs will stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of mathematics. The museum’s activities will lead a broad and diverse audience to understand the evolving, creative, human, and aesthetic nature of mathematics.”
CASE STUDY: C.M.A. center for creativity
The Center for Creativity (CfC) is a catalyst – a jumping off point for individuals and groups to discover and explore their unique connections to creativity. Through captivating spaces, engaging experiences and programs and dynamic services and resources, we invite people of all ages to participate in activities that nurture creative thinking and doing: observing, questioning, experimenting, analyzing, reflecting, and playing. The CfC is an initiative of the Columbus Museum of Art and is the way the institution fulfills its fifth institutional value, CREATIVITY. The 18,000-sqaure-foot CfC is a hub for Museum experiences that foster imagination, critical thinking, and innovation. The CfC will provide myriad experiences that engage CMA visitors with art and with each other, model the creative process, highlight examples of creativity in action, and underscore the importance of creativity in our community. The Columbus Museum of Art has 5 Core Values: Community, Integrity, Advocacy, Quality, and Creativity. The Center for Creativity is the visual manifestation of our value as well as the guiding direction around our learning outcomes.
The philosophy of Museum of Mathematics
“In the Center for Creativity in the Columbus Museum of Art, we believe that creativity is for everyone. It can live within anyone, and take on any form. This is where creativity is fostered. Cultivated. Championed. Celebrated.”
CASE STUDY: YOUmedia
“YOUmedia is an innovative, 21st century teen learning space housed at the Chicago Public Library’s downtown Harold Washington Library Center. YOUmedia was created to connect young adults, books, media, mentors, and institutions throughout the city of Chicago in one dynamic space designed to inspire collaboration and creativity. High school age teens engaging with YOUmedia can access thousands of books, over 100 laptop and desktop computers, and a variety of media creation tools and software, all of which allow them to stretch their imaginations and their digital media skills. By working both in teams and individually, teens have an opportunity to engage in projects that promote critical thinking, creativity, and skill-building. The design of the YOUmedia space is based on the research of Professor Mizuko Ito and colleagues, Living and Learning with Digital Media (2008). This ethnographic study of more than 700 youth found that young people participate with digital media in three ways: (1) they ‘hang out’ with friends in social spaces such as Facebook; (2) they ‘mess around’ or tinker with digital media, making simple videos, playing online games, or posting pictures in Flickr; and (3) they ‘geek out’ in online groups that facilitate exploration of their core interests.”
The goal of YOUmedia
“The goal of YOUmedia’s physical and online spaces is to support young people in participating with digital media across all three of these practices so that, in time, there is a substantial increase in the number of youth in Chicago who use online resources and new media as tools to engage in inquiry about their neighborhoods, the city, and the world. The design of the YOUmedia learning space encourages individual and collaborative work and also provides a safe and open space where teens can come just to hang out.”
THE PROCESS: SITE PLAN & VICINITY
TRAFFIC PATH
PEDESTRIAN PATH
SITE ANALYSIS
TUTTLE GARAGE ARPS GARAGE PROPOSED DROP-OFF
OHIO UNION NORTH GARAGE
NEIL AVENUE GARAGE
PARKING GARAGES
THE PROCESS: DEMOGRAPHICS
elementary school
high school
middle school
THE PROCESS: DIAGRAMS
support
PARTI
main path of travel
education
WAYFINDING FLOORING
WAYFINDING CEILING
wayfinding in ceiling
interactive flooring angular floor change
THE PROCESS: PROGRAMMING
KEY mezzanine level
STUDIO teen studio (high school) collaborative space
below ground
INTERACTIVE LOUNGE interactive technology hang out space
VESTIBULE entry with seating
STUDY ROOM collaborative study space
OFFICE employees’ areas CAFE/LOUNGE self-serve cafe computer area seating
MUSEUM youths’ work on display external exhibits MoMath exhibits
STUDIO young teen studio (midle school) collaborative space
STUDIO children’s studio (elementary) collaborative space
ZONING
INTERACTIVE LOUNGE interactive technology hang out space
INSPIRE
PRODUCTIVE
REFLECT
(LOUNGE)
(STUDIO)
(MUSEUM)
DO. MAKE.
LOOK BACK.
THINK. DISCOVER.
THE PROCESS: SPATIAL IDENTITY
PORTAL TO PLACES NEW SPACE IDENTIFICATION
LAND MARK HIERARCHY IDENTIFICATION
Sterile Institutional Formal
Creative Inviting Intriguing
TYPICAL EDUCATION DESIGN V.S. ANGULAR DESIGN
rest calm quiet relaxed
excitement intense movement high energy
DESIGN SYNTHESIS: FLOORPLANS
MEZZANINE LEVEL BELOW GROUND LEVEL
DESIGN SYNTHESIS: RENDERINGS
RECEPTION & SELF SERVE-CAFE
DESIGN SYNTHESIS: RENDERINGS
INTERACTIVE LOUNGE
DESIGN SYNTHESIS: RENDERINGS
STUDIOS
ELEMENTARY STUDIO
MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL STUDIO
DESIGN SYNTHESIS: RENDERINGS
mathematic puzzle game
interactive mathematic screen
music tune (math) related
interactive puzzle table
MUSEUM
“EDUCATION IS NOT THE LEARNING OF FACTS, BUT THE TRAINING OF THE MIND TO THINK.” -ALBERT EINSTEIN
THANK YOU.