Nick Sayers Interview Reflection

Stops

1) At 06:42, Nick discusses how he learned to write basic computer programs and described this as a sort of “math by stealth”. Programming requires logic, structure, and mathematical thinking, but not numbers or arithmetic, which were the aspects of math he previously disliked. This challenged me to think about the values of mathematics we transmit onto our students. Like Nick says, in school, math is often represented primarily as numbers and arithmetic, especially in early grades. Students who struggle will often internalize the message that they are “bad at math”, similar to how students who struggle to draw may consider themselves “bad at art” (I’m certainly guilty of that one!). However, there are many different forms of mathematics including logic and patterns that students may connect with more deeply, which do not involve numbers and arithmetic the same way. Many students never reach advanced math courses like calculus, not necessarily because they lack mathematical thinking, but because they were filtered out early through narrow definitions of what is considered a strong mathematical ability. Nick’s experience highlights how important it is to broaden students’ exposure to different types of math before they label themselves as “not a math person” based on the institutional privileging of certain knowledge over others. 

2) At 34:43, Nick explains how bicycle gears create spirograph patterns as you cycle. I found this fascinating, linking math and art but also adding in engineering qualities as well. Geometry can emerge naturally through motion, looking at how rotational speeds, radius, and mechanical ratios can generate intricate designs. This example is powerful because many students want to know “how things work”, but struggle to focus on abstract definitions, equations, or numbers. I think this is a really effective way to see how geometry can emerge from motion and how math is not just numbers and arithmetic, but can also generate beauty. 

3) Around 1:25:00, Nick describes a workshop in which students built their own cameras, though the images appeared upside down. He was able to explain why that inversion happened in a way that was simple and easily accessible even to children, and then used their questions of how to get it right side up to further expand the project using the upside-down house, eventually leading to creating a bifocal lens. I thought this was really effective and powerful, revealing the importance of investigations and finding ways to answer students’ questions in meaningful ways rather than brushing off non-curricular questions or only focusing on the complex mathematics.

What does this artist's work offer you in terms of understanding math-art connections, and what does it offer you as a math or science teacher?

Nick Sayers work allows me to see the value and beauty in math-art connections, revealing an accessible means to learning mathematical properties. I’ve run into many students who say they “aren’t a math/science person” but are very interested in art. I think by introducing students to mathematical art, they can see that they may actually be mathematically inclined through means that have not been emphasized in traditional classroom practices.

Nick’s work invites students into a world and perspective that may not have been previously available to them. As a science teacher, his work challenges how I think about the mathematical processes I teach. Complex processes can be explained and observed through simple, everyday objects if looked at with a bit of creativity and connected to meaningful experiences in students’ personal contexts.

Question for Nick Sayers:

What do you think schools and teachers can do differently in early grades to prevent students from internalizing an identity in which they are “bad at math” or “bad at art”?