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| Just wait until you see the Math lattice problem. |
I got a chuckle when I read this from e cards. How many of you remember word problems in Math that didn't seem to make sense?
A blog on educational matters, Learning in Maine, had an article extolling Common Core math standards. The readers took exception to some of the writer's praises about Common Core's strengths (according to the writer) in an extraordinary and thoughtful manner. This comment on how math works, or doesn't, is worth pondering:
As a parent with a minor in Biology and dad who works remotely as an IT
Security Consultant (and who sees many Asians blow our kids out of the
water when it comes to mastering computer programming which uses not
only math but "logic"). Both of us cannot comprehend Everyday Math.
I can't help my son with his 6th grade homework because I do not understand half of it and neither does my husband.
We learned math the old school way and are very proficient ~ I have even passed college level Calculus 2 and Statistics.
My son is in 6th grade and I fear that he has never learned the basics. We are going to talk to the Principal of my son's school and beg for him to learn "Singapore Math". We pay enough in our property taxes and they should help us out here.
Everyday math is fine if you want a nation of liberal arts degrees rather than science, computers and engineers.
I can't help my son with his 6th grade homework because I do not understand half of it and neither does my husband.
We learned math the old school way and are very proficient ~ I have even passed college level Calculus 2 and Statistics.
My son is in 6th grade and I fear that he has never learned the basics. We are going to talk to the Principal of my son's school and beg for him to learn "Singapore Math". We pay enough in our property taxes and they should help us out here.
Everyday math is fine if you want a nation of liberal arts degrees rather than science, computers and engineers.
Pulling up internet resources about "Everyday Math", it looks as if lattices are taught in solving multiplication problems. If this is the way students are assessed on the Common Core assessments, the reader's plea to her principal is useless. If the student doesn't understand the process of a problem, the student will fail. If the student fails, the teacher's accountability rating goes down. What teacher wants to teach math problems in a manner that will affect his/her job?
If "Singapore Math" is not the consortia's assessment decision for your state, it's a safe bet your local school district won't teach it, even if the taxpayers demand it. Is this really the best way to teach math to children? This is the lattice method for the multiplication problem 567 x 432. And you thought word problems were bad?
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| It's clear as mud to me. |
