Reply to math curriculum 2.0 -- explaining math strategies

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "math curriculum 2.0 -- explaining math strategies"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote]OK. At our MCPS school (in the US) in 2nd grade, the kids ARE given the option to use pictures, formulas, or diagrams. As the teacher who teaches at MCPS (in the US) says.

Do you disagree with the idea that if you can't explain the concept, you don't understand the concept?[/quote]

In 1st and 2nd grade, kids were allowed to draw pictures, or diagrams but were discouraged from using formulas. In 3rd grade, they are specifically asked to write an explanation using language and sentences.

I do disagree with the statement that if you can't explain the concept, you don't understand the concept. This is plays out in many, many fields. A great violinist hears, feels, and understands fully the concepts of pitch, harmony, tones etc. This same violinist may not be able to write an essay explaining in sentences how they play so well. A english major or music history major may be able to write a wonderful essay comparing and contrasting or explaining this but can't play a simple tune. An artist may be able to construct beautiful compositions but again is far less successful in translating this into a writing skill to explain what they already know and have learned. There is no value in forcing everything to conform to a language assignment approach.

Equations, numerical values, and symbols are the "language" of math. Proofs and theorems, as well as simple equations, do explain math. There are many ways to go deeper in math at the elementary school level and to show how math is a serious of related interactions.

MCPS's interpretation that understanding problem solving means that you can write essays or explain in English sentences how math works is just plain wrong. You don't approach or teach math the same way you approach language arts. You don't teach math as if you are afraid of it and want to avoid numbers and equations. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics