I think we all agree with you.

On 6/23/09, I may get flamed for this but . . . wrote:
> I think a major problem with today's math -- we are pushing the
> skills/objectives lower and lower with greater frequency. Students are
> not being given the time to truly master the basics before new is added to
> this.
>
> My philosophy in math may be quite simplistic -- -- get those basics
> mastered, then branch out.
>
> By basics, I mean basic age-appropriate math facts; putting those basic
> math facts to use in computing greater, still age-appropriate, math
> problems; basic problem-solving strategies using the basic math facts and
> computation skills; and so forth.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/22/09, Jo wrote:
>> Yes, you did manipulatives, but you are attempting something after the
>> psychological and behavioral aspects of continually not understanding
>> have set in. You are then expecting them to do something that many
>> mature adults cannot do, step back and open their mind to really give
>> a something more than a half hearted try. And I can see from your
>> message that you are frustrated by their attitude. I wansn't trying
>> to imply that YOU were doing something wrong. It is that the system
>> your current students worked under was rarely one of help those who
>> are struggling by using different methods. It is still the case in
>> many schools now. If they get help it is more of the same. I hope
>> you didn't take my post as personal.
>>
>> Also, children used to have more hands-on activities involving math.
>> Some was in school, some at home. Counting, measuring, building, etc
>> was a major part of younger grades. These activities increased basic
>> math skills and number sense. Many of these things have gone by the
>> wayside with the way society has changed AND school does less and less
>> of these in order to try to teach math at a higher level in a younger
>> grade.
>>
>> So, I do believe there is a large number of kids that could do better
>> in math if given the appropriate foundation. Not all kids need the
>> same amount to build this foundation, but those who need it, need it.
>>
>> I also agree that not all students will be capable of AP Calculus by
>> their senior year, but there is a good percentage that can't get
>> through Algebra and Geometery. Typically, these kids have struggled
>> from the start trying to learn math the way it is taught.
>>
>> I didn't mean to imply that at your level you could fix the problem if
>> the problem was with so many of the basics and took years to make.
>> On 6/22/09, algie2 wrote:
>>> Actually, I did use hands on manipulatives along with chalkboard
>>> explanations. I already told you the reaction: but we've been doing
>>> this since middle school!
>>>
>>> I agree that there are a vast variety of learning styles. I agree
>>> that some kids are so frustrated with math by the time they get to
>>> high school that they just turn off. However, I disagree that every
>>> high school age kid out there can achieve mastery. I'm not saying
>>> it's always the fault of the student. Some are trying very hard but
>>> they may not be developmentally ready or they may just lack the
>>> innate math intelligence.
>>>
>>> Just as I have taken skiing lessons every winter for decades and can
>>> hardly call myself a skier, some people (especially adolescents) will
>>> not *master* this stuff at this time no matter how you teach them.
>>> Sure, they may understand the hands-on lesson while you are doing it
>>> but it doesn't "click" to the point that they can then apply what
>>> they have learned.
>>>
>>> So my point is we shouldn't denigrate a particular teaching strategy
>>> (the acronym P E MD AS for example) just because it doesn't work for
>>> some kids.
>>>
>>> And do we really have a whole population of crumbling math students?
>>> This suggests that students had better math foundation in the past.
>>> But past math teaching relied much much more on "chalk and talk"
>>> followed by paper and pencil practice and rarely on hand-on
>>> manipulation.

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