University of São Paulo: Professionalization and teaching of mathematics are subjects of mini-courses

Two mini-courses will be given by the Alfredo Bosi Chair of Basic Education at USP this week. One of them takes place this Tuesday, the 16th, at 7 pm, on the topic of Professionalization and Life Project . The other mini-course of the week is scheduled for the 18th, Thursday, also at 7 pm, and is entitled Teaching Mathematics: Four Deadly Sins (Helplessness, Matheology, Cocotology, Ghosts) . The events are free and will be broadcast live on the channel of the Alfredo Bosi Chair of Basic Education at USP on Youtube . There is no need to register.

The mini-course on professionalization aims to “deepen the understanding of what a life project is and its relationship with personal and educational choices for professionalization”, according to the event’s menu. In it, the concept of professionalization will be discussed from the perspective of the Federal Constitution and the Law of Directives and Bases of Education (LDB), “articulated with possible professional projects and social practices”. The mini-course will be taught by professors Franc isco Cordão, Fernanda Yamamoto, Rosemary Soffner and José Fernandes Lima.

The mini-course on teaching mathematics will be given by Professor Nilson José Machado, a professor at the Faculty of Education at USP linked to the Alfredo Bosi Chair of Basic Education. As the professor describes in the event’s menu, this mini-course “will deal with four ways of conceiving mathematics that contaminate teaching actions: the absence of self-efficacy and the feeling of helplessness; the seduction of utilitarianism, or the appearance of mathology; the excess of technical language, or the seduction of cocotology; and the misunderstanding of the role of abstractions, or the appearance of ghosts”. Examples referring to basic school contents will illustrate the exhibition.