Saturday, August 10, 2013

The New Math is Old Again ... is New Again ... is Older Again

Why, if there's more than one way, do we teach only one way?

My son rang me up the other day to give a heads-up about an All Things Considered (NPR) segment "Common Core Curriculum Brings Big Shifts To Math Instruction." Its 269 seconds nicely encapsulates why our monolithic one-size-fits-all public education model is flawed in theory and in practice.

The segment focuses on Common Core's decision that, to best foster an understanding of place value, a horizontal method ("regrouping") of addition should replace the "vertical" Standard algorithm for second graders (the Standard method doesn't go away, it just gets delayed until fourth grade). The show's guests do an admirable job of jousting the pros and cons of this move given the soundbite nature of the encounter (a more involved treatment appeared in The Grey Lady this past June ("The Faulty Logic of the 'Math Wars'"); reading the appended Comments is a must).

All "sides" have valid and pertinent points that bear on the success of a student's learning. Consequently, what's baffling is that we all continue to march lockstep to the tune that we all must teach everything the same way to all students.

Wait! What's that you say? It's not "all" of us? There are many experienced educators who believe it should be up to the teacher to decide which method to use when?
Okay...

Flashback to 9:23 am, Thursday, July 18, 2013
Mr. Dunning's Summer School Geometry Classroom

Jessica:  Mr. Dunning, I like that way of understanding the theorem so much better than the way Mr. Ohman taught it this year.
Mr. Dunning:   Why is that, Jessica?
Jessica:    Because
Srinidhi:    Wait! Your way is confusing! The way I learned it this spring makes so much more sense.

... so does anyone see any issues with 6,000,000 pedagogies being taught simultaneously? 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Add a rubbing...