Last year, a group of math professors from Saskatchewan and Manitoba decided to take action. They formed an organization called the Western Initiative for Strengthening Education in Math (WISE Math). Largely in response to WISE Math, Saskatchewan Education Minister Donna Harpauer organized a series of consultation meetings across the province with the intent of improving math education in schools. This initiative gave mathematicians hope that things would change for the better.
That hope quickly faded when the education department issued a news release last week informing the public that it intends to make no changes to the new math curriculum. Instead Harpauer announced that teachers would be provided with more professional development opportunities to help them implement the curriculum more effectively. She also encouraged schools to hold more information sessions for parents about the new curriculum.
Of course, the new directives make about as much sense as holding professional development sessions about the unsinkability of the Titanic immediately after it hit the iceberg. Like the doomed Titanic, the math curriculum sinks under its own weight and providing more information about it will not be of much help to students or their parents. The problem is a faulty curriculum, not a lack of information about its contents.
Harpauer defends her directives by arguing that Saskatchewan only began to implement the new curriculum in 2007 and has not had sufficient time to evaluate its effectiveness. However, the philosophy behind the new curriculum is not really new at all.
In fact, many of the “new approaches” to teaching math have been in schools for years. Many math textbooks published in the 1990s and used across Western Canada already reflected elements of the new math approach. For example, Addison Wesley’s Quest 2000 series of math textbooks contained virtually no standard algorithms and encouraged students to use calculators when answering simple arithmetic questions. Like the current math curriculum, students spent much of their time on convoluted word problems rather than on straightforward math questions.
Thus, the Saskatchewan new curriculum simply formalized a longstanding shift away from traditional methods of teaching mathematics. Prospective teachers were already indoctrinated for years by education professors who disparaged any form of drill and practice. As a result, many schools implemented elements of the new curriculum long before the most recent iteration was published in 2007. There has been plenty of time to evaluate this approach.
Unrelated - German teen Shouryya Ray solves 300-year-old mathematical riddle posed by Sir Isaac Newton
(Update, from the comments - I haven't found the Newton "problem" or the formula this kid used. In fact on many physics forums everyone is scratching their head as to what this is about.)
I haven't found the Newton "problem" or the formula this kid used. In fact on many physics forums everyone is scratching their head as to what this is about.
I know! Lets use forward approximation in how we pay math teachers.
My guess is that the Teacher's Unions lobbied long and hard, with many political donations, against changing the math curriculum.
My guess is that the teachers objected to the old 'rote drill method' and formulaic memorizing of teaching math - because it's more work for the teacher.
Notice the assumption that the parents are ignorant, and that is why they don't see the value of what the 'experts' are promoting.
'Shouryya Ray... said his father instilled in him a "hunger for mathematics" and taught him calculus at the age of six.'
Moral: if you want your kid to be an annoyingly precocious little math genius, you'll have to teach him yourself.
And 1i + 1i = 2i in the imaginary number space...
What pray tell is wrong with rote learning your times table...? Ooooh its boring, its not advanced, its not sensitive, but hey it works!!
Well obviously you need a calculator to figure out the square of 12 when you are hammering up the walls to the new bedroom addition to the home; because you finally figured out that 1 male + 1 female = 1 baby give or take a few.
And if too many people know figures it will inevitably lead to the conclusion that:
"Figures don't lie, but liars sure do figure!"
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Y'know at this point the crappy math curriculum doesn't bother me. In fact, it is a bit of a bonus for kids whose parents are tutoring them on the side. Courtesy of the education system, the tutored kids will now have an advantage over the rest of their peers when they move on the higher maths/sciences and leading, perhaps, to a lucrative career in a STEM career. Less competition and better career prospects. This should, OTOH, be of great concern to the social justice and social inequality crowd; they are making disadvantaged kids more disadvantaged.
"My guess is that the Teacher's Unions lobbied long and hard, with many political donations, against changing the math curriculum." ET May 28, 2012 2:40 PM
Since we're just guessing here, I would guess that you are dead wrong. The STF doesn't lobby the government on curriculum issues. I expect math teachers are unhappy with the curriculum but are given no choice about teaching it (as stated in the article).
One of the contributing factors of increasing education costs is that text books can only be used until the next idiotic "new approach to learning" can be devised. Does anyone believe that these education "pioneers" aren't being funded by the textbook publishers? They want the curriculum to change. It doesn't have to get better. It just has to be different. In fact, improvement is bad. It makes it harder to come up with the next change. We can be sure that if this approach doesn't work, we'll surely need a whole new curriculum (and new textbooks) very soon. It's a conspiracy by "big publishing"!
My favourite part of the WNCP Math is the ever present "for larger numbers, students should use calculators". Always loved that....
Then, students get to high school and can't do basic algebra, let alone calculus, cause they have little to no experience using standard algorithms.
I'd love to stay and chat but I have to get ready for my son's graduation; as he has earned his Bachelors in Science in PHYSICS!
I have no idea whether they are serving fig NEWTONS at the reception.
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Here's a better description of the mathematics:
http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/u7551/teen_solves_newtons_300yearold_riddle_an/c4szejb
rita - so, the STF has nothing to say to the Education Ministry about curriculum, about the nature of what they teach, about the argument between 'preparing for a job' vs 'preparing for life' - all of which are curriculum issues?
They didn't complain about
"The unsustainable pace of curriculum change without consultation and collaboration with
teachers in the classroom"
Or "Recommitting to the goals of education including a commitment to a curriculum and education system that meets the holistic needs of students." [What are 'holistic needs' other than a comment on curriculum?]
Sept 2011 Brief from STF to Minister
Rote learning of times tables is an essential skill. If the grasp of multiplication and addition is weak, bad things do follow.
Aaron Clarey has been eloquent on the need for maths in most practical fields. And many years ago,
while chatting with some colleagues in chemistry, the point was made that a good standing in the
high school advanced maths program was the best indicator for success in chemistry.
Hell with it.
I guess no possibilty for a Fields Medal for a Saskatchewan this generation?.............or next
As a math teacher and school administrator, I couldn't agree more with this statement. The shift began in the early 90's and is not supported by a large number of math teachers. The focus on the global, at the expense of the foundation, has been a theme for the last 20 years. those of us who teach senior math know that you cannot teach global thinking of math concepts if the foundations are not there. And for too many students, there is no foundation. We saw the same thing happen when we moved to Whole Language in the 80's. After we saw a decrease in reading skills, we realized there needed to be a balanced approach with literature and phonetics. Now, we can see advanced literacy skills from students who, 40 years ago, would have been designated as unteachable. If teachers take a step back and approach numeracy with the same thoughfulness as literacy, not the same instructional techniques, we can solve this problem.
On a second note, the idea of increased professional development isn't a bad one but it has to be deeper than new instuctional technques. it has to develop into sharing the same passion for numeracy as we do for literacy. Until that happens, too many students are going to continue to hate math, give up on math or be afraid of math. One of the biggest burdens right now for the math teacher, is getting students over their emotional fear of math and the mental blocks they raise because of it.
And finally, I have a hard time taking advice on teaching from a University math professor. The worst teachers I ever had were all math profs and my son, an engineering student, would say the same thing.
"The worst teachers I ever had were all math profs and my son, an engineering student, would say the same thing."
VERY TRUE! ...chemistry a close second, often for the same reasons.
No skill, no thrill. No drill, no skill. Ergo, no drill, no thrill.
Public Education is just another form of child abuse.
yup, the "new" math sucks, but it ain't just the math that is the problem, it's societies (leftards)whole attitude that helps create this problem, the "no student" shall fail, so we'll stupid it all down is part of it, "student welfare" is another part of it, and the list of government interference of child raising just goes on, and adds to this problem
1 X 1 = 1
1 X 2 = 2
1 X 3 = 3
and on and on it went...but those of us that learned that way, never ever forgot...can add, subtract, multiply and divide in our heads...99% of the time faster than some bright eyed bushy tailed yongster with A CALCULATOR. New math is just such pure BS.
The same flawed ideology/thinking goes with learning to read. Whole word..what a goddamned Joke.!! PHONETICS is where it's at, as it always has been.
The problem is as I see it: Increasing Socialist mentality (driven by antagonistic Union mentality),within School boards whereby parents "don't know jack"..
No only is the "new math" absolutely and utter garbage, it turns boys off math. This is a very serious problem.
LC Bennett "Y'know at this point the crappy math curriculum doesn't bother me. In fact, it is a bit of a bonus for kids whose parents are tutoring them on the side. etc."
LC I agree wholeheartedly, and it is the only thing that keeps me sane when my kids are faced with the awful public education system.
@ LC Bennett : But the STEM kids will have to work hard, pay taxes and support the Occupy kids!
Projectile motion with a quadratic drag law comes very close to being analytically soluble. One wants to formulate the trajectory in terms of arc length as independent variable. So it doesn't surprise me that someone has succeeded with a complete analytical solution.
It is, by the way, the essential problem of exterior ballistics. However, the quadratic drag law is too simple for real projectiles, where the exact form depends on speed. With some projectiles there are also "keel" or steering effects - I don't know the precise term.
Agree with murray. Everyone knows that skills must be practiced to be maintained. The problem is that the education system believes (or want to believe) that once students are taught a math concept they will retain it forever.
Teaching isn't a profession anyway. All it takes is aptitude. About time the taxpayers took control of the trough these pigs swill in...
TJ - you notice they never, ever ask parents what they think. I guess they assume parents could not possibly be capable of making intelligent recommendations. I feel my self-esteem being irreparably damaged by the unfair bullying of the education system.
R Johnson - I believe that is why sharing and caring is now an integral part of primary education.
I don't mean to throw my lot in necessarily with the new high priestesses of mathematics education, but I was struck by the following statement:
"Like the current math curriculum, students spent much of their time on convoluted word problems rather than on straightforward math questions."
Once we get out of school (and it can't be too soon), are we more likely to be confronted with "straightforward math questions" or with somewhat more complicated word problems? I agree that there is a double-edged problem with the word problems I've seen in our schools: the questions are badly written, and the students can no longer read.
Students have always hated word problems because they must be read, analyzed, decoded, and interpreted, but those are the types of questions we are normally confronted with. How can we tell if the media are accurately reporting the number of people attending (respectively) the March for Life or the Pride Parade? Is the jumbo size peanut butter really a better deal than the three smaller ones on special?
Fighting the math wars or the reading wars diverts attention from the fact that public schools have failed comprehensively and cannot be repaired.
I sympathize with my math colleagues, but I've given up trying to rescue the system. We homeschool. Among other things, my children use Aleks (http://www.aleks.com/), the Singapore math curriculum(http://www.singaporemath.com/), and participate (when old enough) in the Waterloo math contest (http://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/contests/contests.html). One aced the Gauss test, and all place in the upper quartile.
Knowledge is power, denying knowledge is more power...
The problem with public education and many other "public goods" is that if the powers that be look at the wrong research or draw the wrong conclusions and implement the wrong policies, they are very hard to correct. In the education area, that is a disservice to students.
In a competitive education market, service providers might choose a wide variety of teaching methods. Those that don't work very well will be weeded out very quickly by parents who want their kids to learn stuff.
The dumbing down of kids is deliberate, on the part of left-wing political activists, unions and others. Read Ayn Rand's essay "The Comprachicos" for further analysis.
Grade three - 1964 - one teacher in our school made math drills fun and competitive. We thrived. Thereafter everyone who had taken math with this particular teacher excelled in math right through to Grade 12 and beyond. Other kids who had missed her first time around were given remedial sessions with her in grade five.
Teachers and government want total control over kids in Manitoba. Manitoba teachers should maybe be concerned about the province's terrible math score.
Teachers and government want total control over kids in Manitoba. Manitoba teachers should maybe be concerned about the province's terrible math score.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/28/manitoba-teachers-want-province-to-stop-parents-from-pulling-kids-out-of-sex-ed-classes/
This would be why our children have been in Kumon Math for the past 9 years. We have spent thousands of dollars in Kumon in order to teach our children the PROPER way to do Math. The teachers hate it, but our children can add, subtract, multiply, and divide faster than the teachers. My sons Grade 12 Math Teacher (an older lady who believes in rote math) said he is the only one in the class NOT reaching for a calculator and able to keep up with the concepts. GO FIGURE! The education system is failing to TEACH our children how to even make change in the stores without a computer!
This would be why our children have been in Kumon Math for the past 9 years. We have spent thousands of dollars on Kumon in order to teach our children the PROPER way to do Math. The teachers hate it, but our children can add, subtract, multiply, and divide faster than the teachers. My sons Grade 12 Math Teacher (an older lady who believes in rote math) said he is the only one in the class NOT reaching for a calculator and able to keep up with the concepts. GO FIGURE! The education system is failing to TEACH our children how to even make change in the stores without a computer!
I don't know how similar it is to the "new math" being taught in Newfoundland, but I know that many parents are willing to pay the going rate of $30.00/hr for tutoring.
It sounds really similar - lots of weird word problems. I know they take some really easy things and make them really difficult. For instance finding the median number in a set - they do something in some weird rectangle, when I would have written them in order and picked the one in the middle (or two in the middle).
I also remember a weird problem that would have been easy for me - just do the simple math - but getting the correct answer meant nothing. The weird, convoluted, incomprehensible method of getting the correct answer was more important.
In the end I showed them how to do the math the "old way" for checking their answers. They were finding it much easier to work backwards from my methods to get the correct "process".
"Once we get out of school (and it can't be too soon), are we more likely to be confronted with "straightforward math questions" or with somewhat more complicated word problems? I agree that there is a double-edged problem with the word problems I've seen in our schools: the questions are badly written, and the students can no longer read."
Nobody is advocating we go to yet another math curriculum which completely removes word problems. We all did our share of word problems in Math courses in highschool. First we learned how to do the simple algorithms, then we applied those to word problems. This "new math" seems to skip the algorithm step and go straight to word problems kids aren't prepared to answer. What was so wrong with the "old math" we all did. I know Memorial University has been complaining that kids just don't have math basics that they used to have and they say it's directly related to the "new math."
This is par for the course nowadays. The government along with our "betters" are changing everything. Even with the new math blowing up in their faces, nobody is going to admit failure - it must be the kids' fault or the parents' fault. It cannot possibly be that we've stopped actually teaching math.
Kumon works well for the kids I know. They learn zip in school.
Here is the problem for Shouryya Ray
http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/u7551/teen_solves_newtons_300yearold_riddle_an/c4sxd91
And
http://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/u74no/supposedly_this_is_a_new_formula_for_calculating/c4szzld