“You know, when my dad lost his sight, I started doing accounting for him, and math was the one area that I was able to succeed in,” Scott says.
from NPR’s 2 Pi: Rhymes And Radii, Jan. 8, 2013
The podcast quoted above is a touching story of a teacher working really hard to connect with his students and help them succeed. I’m intrigued by his tactics of putting math to rap and hip hop. Very creative.
But what’s even more interesting to me – he says math really clicked for him when he had to start doing the family accounting. How might he apply that insight to his classroom and instruction?
So, is math rapped as powerful as math wrapped (in real-life context)?
it's about learning 
Interesting question, Bo. It seems to me that the key in both of these instances is connection through context. In rappin math, the teacher uses the contextual cultural phenomenon of rap to make a connection with his students. In wrapping math, the immediate context of helping his family “opened” his mind to better understand math. But I offer another key that may not be as apparent- the relationship in both situations (teacher-to-student, man-to-family) heightened the acceptance and “meaningfulness” of context. Context alone is not as powerful. Context within a deepened relationship is an accelerant for learning.
Beautifully said, Angel. I completely agree – relational context is incredibly powerful for learning. Thank you! Looking forward to talking to you soon.