Everything Tagged with 'math'
Fixing Math Education in America
Two mathematicians, Sol Garfunkle and David Mumford, respond to the concern that America is faring poorly in our math education:
All this worry, however, is based on the assumption that there is a single established body of mathematical skills that everyone needs to know to be prepared for 21st-century careers. This assumption is wrong. The truth is that different sets of math skills are useful for different careers, and our math education should be changed to reflect this fact.
Today, American high schools offer a sequence of algebra, geometry, more algebra, pre-calculus and calculus (or a “reform” version in which these topics are interwoven). This has been codified by the Common Core State Standards, recently adopted by more than 40 states. This highly abstract curriculum is simply not the best way to prepare a vast majority of high school students for life. […]
In math, what we need is “quantitative literacy,” the ability to make quantitative connections whenever life requires (as when we are confronted with conflicting medical test results but need to decide whether to undergo a further procedure) and “mathematical modeling,” the ability to move practically between everyday problems and mathematical formulations (as when we decide whether it is better to buy or lease a new car).
Garfunkle and Mumford (and really, they couldn’t be better named for two mathematicians) make an excellent argument against traditionalism in education, and the picture they later paint – of a holistically minded, culturally relevant math curriculum – just warms my heart. This is what school should be like.