It was a very satisfying experience to observe the changes in responses and behavior throughout the project. One of my favorite memories is of Andrew who, when challenged to find from a box of blocks one that he thought matched the shadow of a square, selected four different blocks. When asked to explain, he indicated that some blocks, when held at an angle, could make a square shadow. As a result of this project, it was possible to isolate types of activities, samples of discourse, questioning strategies, and classroom settings that are deemed beneficial as far as making a contribution to fostering the development of spatial sense is concerned. The observations made during the project reinforced the statement by Cobb et.
Teachers have an important role to play.
Observing students in action and listening to their comments, questions, reactions, and generalizations have made a contribution to providing partial answers to the questions about teaching and teaching teachers. However, future changes in how subject matter is viewed, changes in the clientele, and new information about teaching and learning will make the search for answers a never ending process. A word of thank you is extended to James Wilson, the principal of Fairburn School, in Victoria, for granting permission to visit the school and to Patty Kallio, the teacher, who made her students available. Geometric Concepts and Spatial Sense. A Constructivist Alternative to the Representational View of Mind in Mathematics Education.