Battleground Schools (Summary & Reflection)

Summary:

This article addresses many of the problems that face the system of education of math curriculum in public schools. Primarily, there is a clash between progressive and conservative thinkers on the transmission of knowledge from teacher to student and what math skills should be the focus of instruction. Also, there is a recurring theme of prejudice, misconception and fear of mathematics that has a cripling effect as it propagates through the generations. It is not only socially acceptable to be mathematically illiterate, but there are students and teachers alike who pass through the education system without ever really understanding fundamental secondary math concepts. In this way, there are many math teachers who do not possess the skills to properly instruct their students in math and who are excused on the grounds that the textbook is considered 'teacher-proof'.

In the early 20th century (1910-1940), a Progressivist Reform sought to bring about the unification of knowledge and application. This meant using an inquiry-based approach to learning that had largely been ignored before. This included the facilitation and orchestration of student supported inquiries into learning. Then, in the 60s, spurred on by the launch of Russian spacecraft, the 'space race' became a national issue in America as an unmet demand for qualified and educated scientists was realized. This 'New Math' initiative saw the rewriting of mathematical structure to be based more on set theory. But many teachers struggled to adapt to the new changes and in the 70s, the popular media was denouncing it. Now (1990-present), there is a real reigning-in on teaching standards in an attempt to implement a 'back-t0-basics' approach that lessens the autonomy of teachers and holds them more accountable. The National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM) produced a definitive set of standards in 2000.


Response:

This article had a lot that needed digesting. I can imagine that there would be incredible difficulties in moderating and regulating the instruction of any subject, but with math, it must be that much more difficult. Not only is it a subject that many people aren't fluent with, but because it is logically driven, discrepancies must be extremely difficult to resolve. If two teachers each believe their competing interpretations of the rules of math are correct, then there is little persuading them. Also, when it comes to the level of autonomy of teachers in the class room, I don't know where I stand. I know that it is essential that no detail of math instruction (either relational or instrumental) be left out, but at the same time, I don't want teachers acting as textbook paraphrasers either. That is why provincial exams are a good idea, because it holds the teachers within the bounds of the material covered therein. What I would like to see is an increase in the expectation of math students and teachers. If we can raise the standard (create a new trend of achivement), then all future generations can benefit.