Lend Me Ya' Ear: Navigating Identities in Hip-Hop and Mathematics Through Conversation

• In Event: Hip-Hop Pedagogies Across K–12 Subject Matter

Abstract

The goal of this study is to share realistic and provocative inquiries and responses about the role of hip-hop within the mathematics classroom. As members of two opposing demographics that often work closely within urban mathematics classrooms, the researchers provide their own commentary regarding prevalent ideas concerning hip-hop. In this two-way unstructured interview, both researchers framed their questions and responses much like that of a hip-hop cipher. The findings discussed here suggest that at least three themes exist and can be summed up in a discussion of a) who this pedagogy can be culturally relevant for, b) authenticity in the research and among teachers, and c) the uniqueness of the pedagogy and what it can offer in the mathematics classroom.

Authors

• Marti Cason, Crowley ISD

• Nickolaus Alexander Ortiz, Michigan State University