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I don’t have any problem with common core or “new math”. I was a math major myself and have two kids in public school in SFUSD, and I think it’s valuable to de

by geebee 9y ago

I don’t have any problem with common core or “new math”. I was a math major myself and have two kids in public school in SFUSD, and I think it’s valuable to develop ease and fluency in problem solving. An example in another thread, 2015 - 1985, is a good example. I like the idea that kids learning arithmetic would see how to solve this without a plug and chug approach. Here’s why I don’t find it promising: this is mimicry. The US found that other countries that teach math well don’t rely excessively on plug and chug. But these countries draw math teachers from the top math students. These teachers teach this way not because there is a new set of standards to adhere to but because this is how people who are good at math do math. Until the US draws math teachers from top math students, the new math will just be a new set of plug and chug steps. This is why the parent in the blog entry is frustrated- to them, new path is just more steps than old math. It may feel that way to the teachers as well, if they aren’t understanding what they’re doing. If we want to mimic Finland, we need to start by drawing teachers from the upper echelons of math students. And once you do this, much of this “new math” will happen organically. That may in fact be the only way it can happen.

dorchadas 9y ago
The problem comes with how elementary schools are structured here (at least the ones in the district where I teach). If you even have enough teachers for each teacher to only have one grade (i.e. no split classes), they've got one teacher teaching each class until 4th or 5th grade. So you have the same teacher teaching history, science, math and language arts. This person probably struggled with math and often shuddered at the thought of the math portion of the Praxis test to become certified. They don't know how to do the math, but, because of how elementary schools are taught, you can't just hire a math teacher to teach math to all the students. Personally, I could easily see the benefits of shifting the students to a schedule where you went to a math class, taught by someone who knows math (i.e. the best math students), at the very beginning. It would also help because you could then make it where someone who is good at teaching, say, history, doesn't have to worry about passing a math content exam. Or at least one as in-depth as the math teacher. But, you also have to attract people to teaching. It's a thankless job, and, in my state, they're currently under attack on pension reform and pay and such. Our governor wants to remove mandatory sick days, for instance. And he wants to guy the pension. Or, he'll keep it all and gut all these other programs and then blame it on the teachers. Public education in the US as a whole is under attack, and that's part of the problem of getting the best math teachers. I'd be willing to bet Finland doesn't have to deal with the issue of charter schools like is currently happening in the US, either.

by geebee 9y ago

dorchadas 9y ago

The problem comes with how elementary schools are structured here (at least the ones in the district where I teach). If you even have enough teachers for each teacher to only have one grade (i.e. no split classes), they've got one teacher teaching each class until 4th or 5th grade. So you have the same teacher teaching history, science, math and language arts. This person probably struggled with math and often shuddered at the thought of the math portion of the Praxis test to become certified. They don't know how to do the math, but, because of how elementary schools are taught, you can't just hire a math teacher to teach math to all the students. Personally, I could easily see the benefits of shifting the students to a schedule where you went to a math class, taught by someone who knows math (i.e. the best math students), at the very beginning. It would also help because you could then make it where someone who is good at teaching, say, history, doesn't have to worry about passing a math content exam. Or at least one as in-depth as the math teacher. But, you also have to attract people to teaching. It's a thankless job, and, in my state, they're currently under attack on pension reform and pay and such. Our governor wants to remove mandatory sick days, for instance. And he wants to guy the pension. Or, he'll keep it all and gut all these other programs and then blame it on the teachers. Public education in the US as a whole is under attack, and that's part of the problem of getting the best math teachers. I'd be willing to bet Finland doesn't have to deal with the issue of charter schools like is currently happening in the US, either.