Learning to Transform, Transforming to Learn: Children’s Creative Thinking with Fractions

Abstract

In this paper we contribute an alternative conceptualization of creativity by highlighting movement as creating spatial and temporal dimensions that are important to make sense of creativity in children mathematical thinking. Using data from an international collaboration between two teaching-research teams from the United States and Chile, we trace how children mobilized their social bodies, materials, tools, images, metaphors, languages, and improvisations in order to make sense of the concept of fractions. Based on these findings we offer a number of discussion points that highlight the importance of creating these kinds of learning spaces, the role of tasks in promoting different kinds of movement, and implications for thinking about alternative conceptualization and operationalization of creativity as responding to issues of cultural and linguistic diversity and inclusivity.