Everyday Math (Again)

[Anonymous]

Math sense comes easy to those in the developing world that don't use EDM (reform math). The choice is yours in a free world. I'll teach my kids what the school system is failing to do. I find EDM useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, just keep in mind that EDM has a sales pitch that is almost scripted, to give the schools to deal with parent inquiry. The bottom line is that they (EDM) really did not expect this level of scrutiny. Also, I can bet that all of the schools that are using it wish that they had not adopted it. Kids that do standard math can solve problems in the grocery store too, you don't need EDM to help with that.

That is so much BS. Everyday Math was funded by the National Science Foundation and developed at University of Chicago. In other words, it came out of an academic context in which scrutiny is the norm -- not a surprise. The people who designed this curriculum have a theory about what they're doing and why and they've explained it. And local privates like Sidwell and GDS (which, unlike some public school systems, are free to abandon curricula that don't serve their needs) who use EDM or Investigations continually evaluate those programs and are happy with the results including things like standardized test scores.

I'm not an EDM partisan (just open-minded), but I'm really tired of this kind of (non-)argument.

EDM is supposed to delve more deeply into math concepts behind algorithms; allow the children to investigate, test and settle on methods. We all memorized algorithms early-kind of short-cuts,, and perhaps did some of this later on if we advanced far enough in math. I actually like doing EDM early, and then having the children switch to more skills-driven around 6th / 7th and hopefully based on that foundation explore math deeply again in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I find EDM useless.

Fair enough -- but a much different claim that those previously made!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I find EDM useless.

Fair enough -- but a much different claim than those previously made!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I find EDM useless.

Fair enough -- but a much different claim than those previously made!

Also, it would be helpful for you to supplement it with stats or, failing that, even your own DC's anecdotal, personal experience. EDM seems to elicit strong emotions, but so far on this thread I've been grateful to the supports who have provided some facts and research, and not so much helped by the people who just hate it and that's that. Or by sweeping if undocumented references to Kumon and sub-Saharan countries. I don't have a position either way, I'm just trying to learn about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math sense comes easy to those in the developing world that don't use EDM (reform math). The choice is yours in a free world. I'll teach my kids what the school system is failing to do. I find EDM useless.

Yes, but how many in the developing world go on to do Algebra, Geometry, or other math skills that require advanced spatial skills? Besides, do you know of any "math sense" studies that actually document what you're saying? This sort of sweeping statement isn't really helpful.

[Anonymous]

I found this essay (and some of the links) interesting. It may support PP's point that EDM is useless to her -- e.g. people who lack math sense are forced to rely on a more rote approach which draws on different parts of the brain.

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/brain-health-article/individual-differences-in-math-sense-give-me-the-child-at-7-and-i-will-show-you-the-man/469151

This research finds early/innate math sense. How/whether it can be trained or developed is a separate question. I think that the conventional wisdom is that practice/experience helps and that's part of the reason why EDM starts geometry earlier and has lots of estimation and prediction problems.

[Anonymous]

Fields Medals:

US 11 pop 304M

UK 7 pop 60M

France 9 pop 61M

We aren't that good in math, we won none in 2006.

[Anonymous]

I agree EDM is useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fields Medals:
US 11 pop 304M
UK 7 pop 60M
France 9 pop 61M
We aren't that good in math, we won none in 2006.

If anything, I guess that's an indictment of the traditional math approach popular in the 1970s and 1980s?

[Anonymous]

The global sands are also shifting in science, mathematics and technology.

[Anonymous]

What are the nationalities of students in the PhD programs in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering in US graduate schools? Do you think this may correlate with where US students stand vis a vis the globe in Mathematics education? What other "sweeping" data do you need to support the claim that EDM is useless.

[Anonymous]

"Math Sense" vs rote memory (drill and kill) ? : I guess this explains why EDM introduces calculators to children to perform elementary math problem solving. It clearly improves their math and number sense. During the last week of math pre-assessments my third grade child was offered a calculator to do the examinations for placement in 7th grade (US system) mathematics. The teacher was surprised that he declined to use one preferring the speed and efficiency of the human calculator for routine problem solving at this level.

US high school students are now also allowed to use calcuators to take the SAT exam. I doubt this improves their performance!

[Anonymous]

My kid's in a school where they use EDM and she rarely, if ever, uses a calculator. With the exception of the occasional science project, they don't get brought out before middle school. And they certainly haven't been available to her during math tests (classroom or ERBs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fields Medals:
US 11 pop 304M
UK 7 pop 60M
France 9 pop 61M
We aren't that good in math, we won none in 2006.

If anything, I guess that's an indictment of the traditional math approach popular in the 1970s and 1980s?

EDM was launched in 1983. A child starting then would have been anywhere from 5 to 10, now they should be 29 to 34, doing their finest work. I will wait a bit longer to see.