{"id":1312,"date":"2016-10-12T17:09:59","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T21:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/willistonblogs.com\/math\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2016-10-12T19:37:57","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T23:37:57","slug":"origami-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willistonblogs.com\/math\/origami-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Origami in Japan!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"John
John Montroll’s Grasshopper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Origami is one of the primary reasons I have devoted my life to mathematics. When I was 5, my parents gave me my first Origami books and I was immediately hooked. I can remember waking up early every morning to fold all sorts of models. The geometry, logic, \u00a0necessary dexterity, and focus were all mesmerizing.<\/p>\n

Origami has been a constant in just about all of my math courses. We have constructed specific angles in Geometry, \u00a0studied complex surface area and volume questions with the help of modular Origami in Multivariable Calculus, and worked on edge connectivity problems in Algebra 2. There are seemingly infinite numbers of ways to work Origami into just about any math lesson! You can read about a recent class module right here: Star Project Part 1<\/a>, Part 2<\/a>, Part 3,<\/a> and Part 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Star
Star folding!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not only can Origami be applied almost anywhere in math, it’s incredibly fun.\u00a0We’re only a few weeks into class and I’ve already had several students approach me to ask about when we’ll be folding. I can’t wait to get started with this year’s students!<\/p>\n

Last fall, as part of my quest to learn as much as I can about Origami, I sat down with one of the world leaders of Math and Origami, Dr. Thomas Hull<\/a>,\u00a0Associate Professor at Western New England University and author of\u00a0Project Origami: Activities for Exploring Mathematics<\/a>. Dr. Hull was, as expected, provided an absolute wealth of information! We spoke about how to best design Origami lessons, how to choose topics, as well as his recent sabbatical trip to Japan. His input was invaluable in helping me design my Williston professional development application to travel to Japan and study Origami!<\/p>\n

\"screen-shot-2016-09-28-at-11-04-02-am\"<\/a>Williston accepted my proposal and\u00a0\u00a0I was able to travel to Japan in August to attend the\u00a0Origami Tanteidan<\/a> in Tokyo. Needless to say, I had an incredible time!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo
Tokyo Subway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My journey began with a smooth flight from Boston to Tokyo via Toronto. AirCanada proved, once again, to be an excellent airline. At the NRT airport in Tokyo I met up with my travel buddy, Eric and we immediately jumped into the city of Tokyo. Transport around the city proved to be quite efficient and fun! Even though the Tokyo transport map looks similar to a Jackson Pollock painting, it was super easy to navigate.\u00a0Our hotel was quite comfortable and we quickly became acclimated to life in the city. Over the next few days we explored the city. Highlights of our meandering include:<\/p>\n

Origami Kaikan<\/a>, an absolutely incredible show room, store, and paper manufacturer:<\/p>\n