This is a strange and exciting time in education. Our society is questioning the traditional model of teaching and learning. Adults are asking themselves how their experience of sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures, and memorizing formulas has failed to prepare them for the "real world".
Paradoxically, this is also a time when parents are very concerned about changes being made to education; changes that make it seemingly unrecognizable to their own experience.
. . .
Change is difficult. And even when we can see a need for it, getting all the pieces in place and the players to coordinate can be the hardest part. Parents' concern with the "New Math" is understandable when we don't communicate what we're doing and why we're doing it. Their attraction to familiar formulas is a reasonable attempt to help their kids when they're struggling.
So what if we had the opportunity to talk this thing out...to discuss what we all want for our kids and their education...to redefine what learning looks like and what "success" in a classroom feels like...to experience lessons and identify that concepts are actually identical to the ones we learned...to discuss how we can support our students, both in school and at home...to prepare our students for the emotional component of learning, both individually and with others...?
. . .
Recently, I've spent a lot of time teaching the "New Math". I've been deep in it! Digging through the lessons and their activities. Asking questions, raising my own concerns. But at the end of each day, I know that this is going in the right direction for our kids. I can see how it really is the same math that we learned as kids (or tried to), and I can also see the differences that are possible for them.
This blog is the next step in the conversation that is so desperately needed. Let's talk about it!
5. How do we measure success in the "New" Math?
6. Why memorize 3 x 8?
7. Data in Education
8. How to talk to your kids about standardized testing...
9. The future of teaching & learning math
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