Amen Sister!
It seems like most of us who are discussing this thread
are in agreement on what is wrong/lacking in math
education. We are the ones who need to start doing
something about it! I, for one, am looking toward the new
school year with a different view as to what/how I need to
teach. Thanks to this forum for providing so many helpful
insights, differing viewpoints, and new strategies for
helping our students succeed in math. Even complaining
and venting helps pinpoint problems in our system and
leads to ways to fix those problems...plus, sometimes we
just need to vent!

On 6/23/09, Cindy wrote:
> I tend to agree. I think what is wrong is that the US
> compares their scores
> against other countries and we are found lacking.
> However, other countries do not follow the same
> educational process we do. They are testing their best
> and brightest, we are testing ALL of them. No
> comparison, of course. Nevertheless, the US if found
> lacking and the powers that be go into a panic and
> begin to cram more and more math in younger and
> younger. Nevermind the basics, they need algebra by 1st
> grade! If they would calm down and let these kids learn
> the building blocks, the rest would be more doable for
> ALL of them. We are leaving kids behind left and right!
> But not on paper, oh no, we are miracle teachers, our
> students do not fail.
>
> I have another theory, too. I think toys are becoming
> too electronic, too non-thinking. Do toddlers still
> play with shape sorters where they hold the figure in
> their hand or do they just click on the shape? Do they
> use building blocks? Do kids still play Monopoly WITH
> MONEY? What kid couldn't make change when they played
> Monopoly? So many games we played challenged us to
> think, mathematically, logically. Concentration, a
> memory game with a picture behind the tiles that was to
> be translated into words. That used several parts of
> the brain all at the same time. Games like Jacks
> developed small motor and eye hand coordination. Clue
> for "if then" reasoning, building models for
> scale factor sense, Yahtzee for probability sense. I
> could go on forever. If you have little ones, play
> games!
>
> Another vent, electives. They are the first thing to go
> (when we pass kids who "aren't left behind",
> we put them in Successmaker or some skill builder class
> instead. They NEED art, music, technology, keyboarding,
> CAD. All of those tap into parts of their brains that
> need exercise. They also give them other skills, scale
> factor, fractions, completing projects, training the
> brain through repetition. All important skills. High
> stakes testing is minimizing electives, and the kids
> need them and they need to take them seriously.
>
> OK one more. I believe that in ALL tested subjects (I'm
> in Texas) we have fallen into a memorization of facts
> rather than learning. In History they are given a list
> of 100 facts to learn at the beginning of the year. No
> cause and effect, no true understanding of what and
> why, just memorize facts. I wrote the number 1775 on
> the board in roman numerals and asked them what
> happened that year. They told me NOTHING happened in
> 1775. I made a mistake, they said. It was 1776 that
> something happened! Nothing? Maybe something, maybe a
> revolutionary war? Yes I teach math, but I stopped
> right then and there and made them THINK. They have to
> be able to THINK!
>
> On 6/23/09, I may get flamed 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.

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