Showing of Results

William C. Bonaudi Library's Down the Research Rabbit Hole | Issue 15 | David Mayhugh, Math Instructor | Juxtapositions

05/13/2021
profile-icon Rhonda Kitchens

 

David Mayhugh banner Juxtapositions

 

You have a rich background of cultures and languages. Could you share some of those places and experiences?

 

        I was born and raised as a missionary kid in Macau, China.  At that time, it was still a Portuguese colony.  It is right by Hong Kong, so there were some British influences as well.  In general, Macau is a unique blend of East meets West.  At the time, I did not realise that most places in the world probably don't have the juxtaposition of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple and a 400-year-old Catholic church being down the street from each other or walking on cobblestone roads seeing a pastel coloured government building next to the historical family home of Dr. Sun Yat Sen.  Culture and language are always intertwined and being a missionary kid in Macau gave me exposure to Portuguese, Chinese, British, Filipino, Korean, Brazilian, and North American (US and Canada) cultures and languages.  You learn to be quite comfortable hearing multiple languages, at once, whether you can understand them or not.  It gave a lot of opportunity to find similarities and differences between the cultures and blend them together into my own personal culture.  For me, it was mainly a blend of Chinese and American cultures, as these were the strongest two in my life growing up.  I could probably talk more about all of this, but let us move on for now.

Macau Cathedral

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral in Macau. (2009). Wikimedia Commons. https://commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20091003_Macau_Cathedral_of_Saint_Paul_6542.jpg

Almost all academics have personal research projects they sometimes work a lifetime on just as a matter of curiosity or passion.  Do have one or more?

        

        When I came to the US for university, I made sure to take my English 101 and 201 courses right away.  In these courses, I was given the opportunity to research my own topics much of the time.  I knew I wanted to be a math teacher.  I had experience going to international schools with kids from many different countries and had some idea that math was taught and organised differently around the world.  Pretty quickly I started to consistently research international math education.  Thankfully, at that time the second Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) had just been conducted, and new data and analyses were being published.  The results showed that many of the top-ranking countries for mathematics were in South East Asia.  This of course piqued my interest, having grown up in SE Asia!  Ever since then I have looked at studies and books that have tried to figure out why this is.

 

What do your read, listen to, watch, or do to keep up with your profession?

 

While there are a bunch of things teachers do to stay current (read books and articles on pedagogy or learning, follow #MathEd on Twitter, be part of National organisations like NCTM, go to conferences, etc.), I think what continually ends up being the most impactful in my teaching are times where I get to meet with my colleagues and discuss conferences or study a book together.  It is here where we get to analyse the research and figure out how to put into action in meaningful and feasible ways for our teaching and students.  Moreover, we continue to then analyse our implementation and work through the cycle of research – implement – analyse – adapt – re-implement to continually improve and grow.  


As a student, when did you know you were more math than English? 


​This is hard to determine.  I never thought of myself as being more math than English until high school.  It was then when studying and learning the two became more distinct.  I think it might be better said I started seeing a distinction between math and language arts.  What I mean is that we could switch to compare any other language besides English and Math and I think there would be similar distinctions.  English as a language in and of itself was not contrasted with math any more than Mandarin, Cantonese, or Portuguese.   

 

David Mayhugh Quote

To get to my point, it was in high school that I more clearly noticed how we studied math and language arts.  In math, we used the same foundational truths (axioms) and logical deductions for everything we did.  This meant we could follow each others’ reasonings and follow the math.  Using deductive reasoning it also gave use a logical guarantee and confidence to know what are studying is true and accurate (given the presuppositions).  

However, in language arts it seemed that outside of grammar it was never clear what our foundational truths were nor how to navigate.  Most of what we studied did not have an author’s guide to explain their thinking let alone purpose.  And yet, language arts expected us to figure this out.  Moreover, the strategy to do this mainly consisted of inductive reasoning, a fair amount of assumptions made, and very little explicit teaching of the hermeneutics used.  For me as a student at the time, it came across as we cannot know without a doubt what the author was originally intending but there is an expectation that I must come to the same conclusion as the teacher.  Again, this was my perception at the time.  How was the teacher supposed to be able to know and how could I trust that?  How was I supposed to be able to this independently without the expertise of the teacher?  I am a very literal person, so things like poetry or metaphor were much more difficult to understand, let alone justify.  

To put it simply, math was studied in a way that is universal regardless of my lack of cultural understandings and with quality logic while language arts was studied in a way that seemed sloppy and extremely biased, at the very least, with no guarantees.  So for me, I naturally gravitated and toward that which was accessible to me no matter who I was or where in the world I was learning it.

 

What book, poem, or study have you read that engaged you so deeply you were changed?​ 

The Bible is the clear and easy answer to this question.  I say this not only from a personal perspective because of the truths that change lives, but also from a more academic perspective.  From the last question, you might notice that studying language arts is not something that I have really enjoyed and have struggled with in my academic life.  As I have gotten older and learned more about determining and using quality hermeneutics, applying these to study the Bible has not only helped me better learn to read and understand it but also better connect to and use the skills of being a mathematician.  Both theology and mathematics are axiomatic systems and can be studied systematically. 

 

 

 

This post has no comments.
Field is required.
No Tags

Similar Posts

View All Posts

 

Issue 7 and 8 of Dr. Sara Tweedy's Down the Research Rabbit Hole

 

You have had an amazing range of studies, professions, and successes. Not everyone has been a heavy wheel diesel mechanic and also attended Yale Divinity School. Your range is breathtaking. You've worked on issues of justice, reform, LGBTQI, and education. Your tagline "See you around the Bend" has also been attention-grabbing.  It seems in addition to the range of studies and experiences you may also have some promo mojo.  Through these years, what have been your go-to texts, journals, magazines, and/or online resources?  Do you have gurus, mentors, or writers/researchers that serve as your inspirations?

 

I can’t resist saying that the question implies that I took a well-thought-out path through life. I definitely did not. Life has invited me to embark on interesting journeys and I have taken a variety of different trails getting stronger and more confident on each adventure. Maybe the universe has this well-laid plan, but I am not privy to the plan. Whenever life tempts me with a new adventure I just keep saying, “Yes!” I want to learn and grow as a result of the places life takes me. 

In college, I was introduced to the advocacy and writings of incredible people like Audre Lorde and bell hooks, who shared a perspective and a vision that really pricked my conscience. I also was fascinated by Eleanore Roosevelt who used her position of privilege to advocate for equity. From then on, I read voraciously—books, magazines, journals—and listened carefully to others about their lived experiences. My go-to writings are the biographical stories of individuals who pursued a fairer, more equitable world enduring great risk, ridicule, and harm.

  Image of Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy

What kind of research did you do to prepare for your interview at BBCC?  What sources did you consult? Did you use social media or another other digital media? Is there a story about a place or event in the area that intrigued you?  

 

My research on BBCC began before I even applied for the presidency. One of my make-or-break criteria is related to diversity. Because Big Bend is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS), I decided to learn more. I read the college’s strategic plan, the Academic Master Plan, the Campus Climate Action plan, Board of Trustees Minutes, and other publicly available information such as completion rates. I studied the organizational structure, read the local newspaper, and researched all things Moses Lake and Big Bend. I also spoke to people who live in Washington and work in the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges (WACTC) system. As I progressed in the search process, I returned to those sources and individuals and kept digging deeper. 

 

 

Your dissertation: Tweedy, S. T. (2018). More than Just Numbers: Strategies for Improving the Use of Data to Increase Community College Student Progress and Success (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland University College), includes in the acknowledgment a small anecdote about your sons who wanted to play soccer, but you were busy researching, writing, refining, and completing your dissertation. We have many student parents on our campus.  Do you have any research advice for them and their unique challenges?

 

My most important piece of advice, GET HELP FROM LIBRARIANS! They know their way “around the stacks.” They’ll save you a lot of heartaches trying to figure out a research approach on your own. 

In addition, I deployed two strategies that served me well. You may know the old adage, “How do you eat an elephant?” Disgusting, but useful imagery that encapsulates one of those strategies—one bite at a time. Being a mother of two, a professional with great responsibility and a part-time doctoral student meant that every single day was chock full of things that I needed to do, places I needed to be, and people to whom I needed to attend. If I did not take my research in bite sizes, I could be overwhelmed quickly. My first piece of advice: Break the assignments down into smaller actionable steps and the first step in that process is… wait for it… talking to a librarian. Accomplish that step!

Lastly, keep the goal in mind. When I wanted to cry and tear my hair out, I took a mental break to imagine that moment when my sons would ask me to play soccer on some Saturday afternoon and I would be able to say, “YES!” (When they read that statement in the acknowledgments, they held me to it too!) Another was imagining graduation day when my sons would also see their mother at the hooding ceremony with all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with it. While they may have been too young to fully understand all the implications, I know they will in time. 

 

Image of Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy with pet

 

Tell us about one of the biggest or the most important presentations you have ever done.  What was your research approach? How far did you go with audience research?  What type of feedback did you get?  Did you use any unique sources? 

Presenting myself as a candidate for president at Big Bend was my most recent high stakes presentation! I was so honored to progress through each stage of the process, but I had to check my ego that I was not in this process to get the job at all costs. I wanted to present an authentic version of my vision so that there would be no question about who I would be as president—a student-centered, approachable leader with heart and passion for the justice mission of community colleges. While I was reading cues that this vision was resonating with the BB community, I could not venture into guessing what someone might want to hear which could result in a poor match. When I was offered the position, that was the ultimate feedback that there was a like-minded college locked in the same pursuit to use education to uplift socio-economically marginalized persons. The commitment to students was palpable and I wanted to be part of Big Bend.   

 

We started a tradition of Holiday Haikus at BBCC last year. Do you have any poetic interests or writing you might share with us this year? On the scale of "poet and I know it" to "Haikus?"  where does your wordsmithery fall? 

 

I have dabbled in writing poetry, but my craft is the spoken word! I love to bring written words on a paper to life for an audience. I get chills when I can see my words landing on others in a way that resonates with them, inspires them, and/or humors them. I experience great fulfillment from introducing ideas in ways that provoke thought and deep consideration. In that sense, I do consider myself “a poet and I know it.”

Image of Lindsay Groce with Issue 5 heading

 

Interview with Lindsay Groce, Chemistry Instructor at Big Bend Community College. 

What is your mental space when it comes to research?  Do you have a plan? Are you random?  Is it a research rabbit hole or a carefully planned expedition?

 

I did a presentation one time that was an attempt at inspirational and I talked about how most people think of success as linear.  You learn the things, you earn the piece of paper, you get the job, etc.  My trajectory has always been a little on the non-linear side…in life, so too with research.  Well, it might be linear, but on some sort of wacky 2-dimensional surface – I am picturing, like, a Möbius strip, or an M.C. Escher drawing.  I try to approach research with the same curiosity that draws me to science.  I like to put myself in the mindset of a scientist, which I think in our heart of hearts, is really the mindset of a child, wondering at the world around us.  “I wonder why…” is an expression that never ceases to excite me.  From there, you springboard into resources – What all can I learn about this?  What background info do I need to better understand the mechanisms for why this happens?  This leads to some answers, but usually more questions and then you just go from there.  I can be more disciplined in my approach, but I usually choose not to.  I am a big fan of the research rabbit hole – there is joy in the journey.  

 

undefined

To keep up with your profession, what are your go-to books, blogs, journals, social media follows, and/or people?

 

I have been a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) since I was an undergrad.  I keep up-to-date on chemistry stuff there – Journal of Chemical Education is one I have spent time wading around in lately.  I follow a lot of the pop-science Instagram and Facebook pages – IFLS, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Crash Course, Scientific American, Popular Science, and of course ALL of the science memes.  I participated in the March for Science a few years ago in Seattle, so there is a group of scientists from a variety of disciplines that have an active Facebook page I like to follow (March for Science – Seattle).  In terms of authors and personalities, I will forever love me some Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Carl Sagan, Hank Green, Bill Bryson, Michio Kaku, Sam Kean – I tend toward the scientists that also take seriously their role of public educator…they also tend to be the best storytellers!  I love books about the history of science, in general; chemistry, specifically; and the periodic table – The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean, I just read The Pluto Files by Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Elements by Theordore Grey (which is visually stunning along with interesting facts).  Part of my teaching style involves telling stories about the personalities, embedding discoveries in their historical contexts, and trying to put real faces and circumstances to the science.  

What's the best presentation or workshop you have ever pulled together in the name of science excellence?

 

It took me 5 years to do what is traditionally a 2-year Masters program because I was working on it part-time while I was working full-time.  In the summer before my last year, I went into my advisor’s office and said, “I know that you will be invited to speak at an international conference next year [he always got international invites – he is kind of a big deal].  I want you to pick one and take me with you.”  That was how I got to go to Japan.  My research was in its final stages, but the story the data were telling was not coming together the way we hoped.  I had to put together a poster with the data we had and our best ideas as to what it all meant.  I gave the poster presentation on my research during my allotted session and was selected for one of three Outstanding Student Poster awards that were given based on votes and feedback from the conference attendees.  It was a huge honor.      

 

Lindsay Groce in googles

What would people be surprised to know about you?

 

I think that people might be surprised to know that I was not originally interested in teaching.  It is so much a part of who I am now; it is sometimes hard for even me to believe that.  My plan when I graduated was to work in a lab somewhere and be a scientist.  I was not picturing having the opportunity to train future scientists.  I feel very fortunate that Big Bend took a chance on me so that I could try it out and experience the elation of watching light bulb moments, being present for important milestones for the students, and help guide them towards whatever all comes next academically and life-wise.

How do you approach the finding sound answers in what seems like a whirlpool of pseudoscience?

 

First of all, I love this question.  It is so timely and important.  When I start any class at the beginning of a quarter, we go back and talk about the scientific method.  All of the students can go through the rote, monotone recitation of the scientific method, but I try to get them to really start using it - to start thinking like scientists.  This involves being skeptical, asking questions, and being curious.  We can apply this to finding sound answers in the wonderful and terrible thing that is the internet.  We find a claim, whether it is something about the utility of masks for preventing the spread of COVID-19, or the current record high temperatures in Siberia and then it is the 5 W’s.  

Who: Who is telling the story and what do they have to benefit from telling it that way?  Do I trust the source that the information is coming from (and we could get into what all would go into earning that trust – peer review, scientific track record, qualifications, who paid for the study?, etc.)?     

What: What are the data telling me?  Go straight to the graphs.  Analyze the axes.  Look at the scope and scale of the collection of the data – Is it a big sample size?  Does it represent the population it claims to?  How was it collected?  Is there a valid trend?

Where: What is the source of this information/claim?  Who is the intended audience?  Where is the information published?  Why is it coming from this source in particular?  

When: Why is this being presented at this way at this time?  Is the storytelling political?  Is it urgent?  Is it even current?  Check the date.  

     

Why: The why part is encompassed in some of the other W’s, but ultimately, why is this claim being made?

 

So, really, there are a couple of pieces to this.  First, you have to do some critical thinking about the claims that you see.  Second, you have to understand that science is a process.  Science is a method by which we know things about the world.  As such, when you are in the middle of an experiment, or an experience that is being studied, the models created to explain the various phenomena are subject to change. 

 

It is hard to make valid conclusions in the middle of collecting data.  As scientists, it is our role to interpret and report findings to the best of our ability with the data that are available.  That does not mean that things will not change in the next week or the next year or the next decade.  That is the beauty of science, its fluidity.  The value of the scientific method is in the way we can change our minds and models as new information becomes available.  When we are researching claims made on the internet, or even just reading headlines on the internet, we have to be scientists. 

 

Everyone could use a little more science these days.    

 

STEM cat image...if you are going to stem..you have to CHEM!

 

HERE: Share Book and Book Talk

 

Flowchart of Book Challenge and New Years Resolution

 

REFERENCES:

"2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s"
"...reading reduces stress by 68 percent"
Book and Reading Statistics

Leads to Clarity & Clear Thinking
Opening the Closed Mind: The Effect of Exposure to Literature on the Need for Closure

Be Resourceful
Goal Setting is Linked to Higher Achievement

Builds Resilience
5 Steps to a More Resilient You