Monday, September 26, 2011

Traditionally-taught Math

It's hard to disagree with Barry, and I don't:
“The traditional method of teaching math has failed thousands of students,” claim new math proponents. That’s a myth, writes Barry Garelick in Education News...

Traditional math education was working reasonably well, Garelick argues. In Iowa, test scores rose steadily until about 1965, and then declined dramatically for a decade. This pattern was repeated in Minnesota and Indiana.

Some researchers blame increased drug use and the rise in divorce and single-parent families for the decline. Garelick blames progressive education which called for student-centered, needs-based courses.
I wonder what the results were for the remaining states.

1 comment:

Ellen K said...

As one of the guinea pig kids for LSU's "new math" program, I concur that the attempt by educators to make math more fun has only resulted in making kids thing math is some sort of mystery or magic trick to which they are not privy.