Utilizing Social Media to Publicize Aesthetic Mathematical Experiences in a Pre-service Teacher Education Program

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the use of social media in a pre-service teacher education program in Brazil named “Pedagogical Residence”. We explore (a) how pre-service teachers harness the power of songs and digital videos, emphasizing the arts, to cultivate aesthetic mathematical experiences as a pedagogical approach, and (b) in what ways social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, and YouTube serve as technologies for sharing these experiences. From a humans-with-media perspective, we emphasize the role of digital technology and the arts in the pedagogical engagement of pre-service teachers. Moreover, from a computational participation point of view, we highlight the cognitive, situated, and critical dimensions of developing and sharing aesthetic mathematical experiences in a teacher education scenario. From the results, we point out that the integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in pre-service teacher education emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and creative problem-solving, leveraging technology and media to enhance learning experiences. Through activities such as creating mathematics songs, pre-service teachers engage with media tools to produce and share educational content, fostering collaboration and innovation in teaching practices. This approach has demonstrated potential in preparing pre-service teachers to be effective educators in the digital age, underlining the importance of media literacy in the classroom.