Math education - Why is US not solving this problem?

[Anonymous]

People, lets get back to the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous - You correct. Teacher have very little content knowledge when it comes to mathematics, especially elementary school teachers. Why would a mathematician or someone who has strong skills in mathematics choose elementary education for a career when thy can make more money and have more status as an engineer, financier, professor, etc. Providing training and coaching for teachers is one of the keys to improving math achievement in the US. This organization is doing all that with some great results. Check them out.
https://sites.google.com/a/wccusd.net/mcc-wccusd1/home

[Anonymous]

Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/thomas-jefferson-student-to-graduate-year-early-a-rare-feat-at-governors-school/2012/01/16/gIQAZqAu7P_story.html

It's takes a nurturing family to nurture STEM talent during the early foundation years when a child is growing. It does require the child work at mathematics early on, not just in the classroom. It requires doing homework and classwork. This is not torture or child abuse as many math phobic parents believe. When STEM subjects begin to demand up to 1/10 of the time sports does for young children and their families then we will see reversal of STEM misfortune in America. The Ivy prize, most sought after by American parents, can still be won without being an athletic recruit. A math recruit is just as enticing to Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

It's not silly....um.

What does it have to do with teaching all kids? Do you really want to require elementary teachers to be proficient in advanced math Ed when 98% of their students are not in need of the instruction. The kids that are ready can accelerate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

Um...that's the point. Let the teachers concentrate on teaching the curriculum most appropriate for their grade. They should also know how to identify the kids that are ready for more advanced work that the majority of the class isn't ready for. They should help place those kids in the appropriate class whether it's the next grade ahead or five ahead.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious-- do you use "umm" in your spoken conversations? Whenever I see this expression written, I immediately dismiss whatever follows as some sort of snarky, rude comment written by a boorish ill-mannered lout. Just sayin'!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious-- do you use "umm" in your spoken conversations? Whenever I see this expression written, I immediately dismiss whatever follows as some sort of snarky, rude comment written by a boorish ill-mannered lout. Just sayin'!

It is snarky. My "um" was in response to 11:52.

I don't use it in conversation. However if someone was ever rude enough to do it I might very well respond in kind just as I did here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

Um...that's the point. Let the teachers concentrate on teaching the curriculum most appropriate for their grade. They should also know how to identify the kids that are ready for more advanced work that the majority of the class isn't ready for. They should help place those kids in the appropriate class whether it's the next grade ahead or five ahead.

OK, take a good look at the top performing countries in math....they don't do that! They teach the whole class. m=no special treatment for the elite wppsi kids, they just teach teach teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

Um...that's the point. Let the teachers concentrate on teaching the curriculum most appropriate for their grade. They should also know how to identify the kids that are ready for more advanced work that the majority of the class isn't ready for. They should help place those kids in the appropriate class whether it's the next grade ahead or five ahead.

OK, take a good look at the top performing countries in math....they don't do that! They teach the whole class. m=no special treatment for the elite wppsi kids, they just teach teach teach.

I didn't say special treatment. I said they should allow kids to accelerate if they are ready. All the teachers should teach teach teach. The students shouldn't be stuck in a certain class though just because of their age.

WPPSI score was not discussed so I'm not sure why you came to that conclusion. If a child is capable of moving ahead let them. I don't care what their iq is. Their work product and teacher observation is all that is needed to figure out what skills a kid is ready to tackle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary teachers don't need to know how to teach advanced level math. What they need to know is how to recognize students that are ready for it. They also need to know how to be a successful advocate for them. Our system can handle these kids if it is flexible and open to acceleration. Even more radical acceleration including allowing the kids to take middle or high school classes if appropriate. Also our system needs to be accommodating to older kids who are ready for college math and allow them to take the college courses and give them credit towards graduation...which many systems will not.

Um, this is silly. I am one of the parents who would like the teachers to concentrate on teaching all kids.

Um...that's the point. Let the teachers concentrate on teaching the curriculum most appropriate for their grade. They should also know how to identify the kids that are ready for more advanced work that the majority of the class isn't ready for. They should help place those kids in the appropriate class whether it's the next grade ahead or five ahead.

OK, take a good look at the top performing countries in math....they don't do that! They teach the whole class. m=no special treatment for the elite wppsi kids, they just teach teach teach.

I didn't say special treatment. I said they should allow kids to accelerate if they are ready. All the teachers should teach teach teach. The students shouldn't be stuck in a certain class though just because of their age.

WPPSI score was not discussed so I'm not sure why you came to that conclusion. If a child is capable of moving ahead let them. I don't care what their iq is. Their work product and teacher observation is all that is needed to figure out what skills a kid is ready to tackle.

anyway, the trend is not to move them ahead because that strategy has its pitfalls.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/thomas-jefferson-student-to-graduate-year-early-a-rare-feat-at-governors-school/2012/01/16/gIQAZqAu7P_story.html

Math is nurtured just like tennis and lacrosse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/thomas-jefferson-student-to-graduate-year-early-a-rare-feat-at-governors-school/2012/01/16/gIQAZqAu7P_story.html

Math is nurtured just like tennis and lacrosse.

Are the Asian students at TJ mostly immigrants or children of immigrants?

[Anonymous]

Like most of America, you and I, they are children of immigrants.