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My favorite example is this one, in which a man tries to teach the binary number system to third graders http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html http://www.garlik
by j2kun 12y ago
My favorite example is this one, in which a man tries to teach the binary number system to third graders http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html
The point is he focuses on challenging their understanding of numbers vs representations of numbers, despite the fact that they thought they mastered simple counting in first grade. They come away from this not with a mastery of binary arithmetic but with a better understanding of their usual decimal counting system.
- hga 12y agoI'm now remembering even more of the New Math that was remaining in my elementary school education (1966-72): I always remember set theory in 3rd grade (not particularly motivated as I remember, but very neat, a useful way to help describe the world), 4th grade as I recall is where non-decimal bases were introduced. And of course it had that obvious effect (at least for me). This was in Joplin, MO, one of the reddest Red State parts of the country, albeit in a school district famous after the 1955 publication of Why Johnny Can't Read for still being able to teach its students how to read. But the language arts were always very capably taught in the district, generally better than math.