Reflection of Ethno Mathematics on 27th Feb 2013

Reflection of Ethno Mathematics on 27^th Feb 2013

Does ethno mathematics effective for learning abstract mathematics like integration, algebra? And what are the examples?

Everything in this world have dimension. Human, food, air have dimension and also ethno mathematics. Ethno mathematics is taken from many cultures. All of in this world will be related to culture. Mathematics that has been found in the first long time ago has become inspiration for all mathematicians in this world. Then appearing formal mathematics. With the structure that has been found before, we can construct new mathematics that related to culture. Mathematics is all mathematics. The problems will be useful or not, it doesn’t matter. Mathematics is built from agreement reached. If we want to make mathematics from our self, we call it our mathematics.

When we make mathematics and we don’t involve ethno mathematics, it will be very dangerous for our generation and also our country. The most dangerous is from the young learner. We can say that mathematics is beautiful, mathematics is fun and also mathematics is interesting. But those statements only came from the peoples that have known mathematics before. We can’t force another peoples to say like that, especially the young learner. Let them say that mathematics is beautiful, mathematics is interesting and other by themselves. Don’t force them to do what that they don’t want to do. This is the challenge for teachers especially teachers that want to be good teacher from their knowledge.

The pure mathematician on State University of Yogyakarta and University of Gajah Mada are researcher. Materials that they have are same with material is given to great students in this country. But materials for senior high school and junior high school also elementary school is different. Every level in this world has portion and method. Not different with learning, every grade has appropriate method and materials. Peoples that flexible, dynamic and can adapt with its environment, it is sign of peoples that have intuition and empathy. Peoples who suffering, have pressure and feel disappointed, they can’t be given intuition and don’t have empathy. So, students who afraid to their teachers will be harder to be given knowledge. Learning problem from the students actually come from their teacher. Problem from the young people actually come from adult people, problem from student actually come from the teacher.

How do we introduce ethno mathematics to children?

Ethno mathematics doesn’t has relation with the students. Ethno mathematics aren’t like a material that can be described easily to student, ethno mathematics isn’t like a food that can make students easy o say love. Ethno mathematics is a knowledge which can help teachers who want make their lesson to be meaningful and useful. This is used by teachers that want to innovative.

Does teacher can choose the right method for their student learning?

If all teachers choose the method for their students, it show us that now this country is so bad and sick. It means that the teachers force students to study with teacher’s method. The teachers are arrogant and too dictators. Moreover, every person is different and not same. The right way is we make a good relationship between students and the teachers. Don’t force peoples to do what they don’t to do. If a teacher thinks that he/she is the most clever in the class he/she will choose reference from himself/herself. If in the fact say that that teacher is bad, it wills product the other bad peoples. So, every teacher shouldn’t think traditionalistic and can use ethno mathematics to develop their knowledge.

Does formal education can increase quality of peoples?

In this era, the education only became the way from governments to reach their destiny. The best education right now is only on the soul of students. Everything what you see right now, like education are a content and container. If you see the container, it meant that you only see on the one side not all of the sides. Formal education is container, and the skill is the content. So, formal education still needed to make golden generation.