[Xmca-l] Re: units of mathematics education

[Andy Blunden]

Let's not let this thread drop, Ed.
To my mind, understanding that mathematics is constrained by objective 
relations, and is not just a social convention, and therefore *reveals* 
objective relations, quite distinct from relations discoverable by 
"experimenting" in the world beyond the text, and opens the possibility 
for students to *explore and discover*. Such an experience has a very 
different content from that of acquiring a social convention. So I think 
it is important that the unit of analysis reflect this.

Andy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/


Ed Wall wrote:
> Andy
>
>      Nice and important points. Thanks!
>
> Ed
>
>       
> On Oct 26, 2014, at  11:31 PM, Andy Blunden wrote:
>
>   
>> Well, I think that if you make a decision that mathematics is *not* essentially a social convention, but something which is essentially grasping something objective, then that affects what you choose as your unit of analysis. Student-text-teacher is all about acquiring a social convention.
>>
>> Remember that when Marx chose an exchange of commodities as a unit of analysis of bourgeois society, he knew full-well that commodities are rarely exchanged - they are bought and sold. But Marx did not "include" money in the unit of analysis.
>>
>> Andy
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *Andy Blunden*
>> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>>
>>     
>