DAVID WEES
Thoughts from a reflective educator.
Math is not linear
Blanca Parra shared this Prezi with me, and I love it. It's going into my collection of resources I can share with people about how we can change mathematics education. I wonder if we could get RSA animate or someone with similar skills to create a video related to this.
About David
David is a mathematics teacher and a learning specialist for technology at Stratford Hall in Vancouver, BC. He has been teaching since 2002, and has worked in Brooklyn, London, and Bangkok before moving back to Canada. He has his Masters degree in Educational Technology from UBC, and is the co-author of a mathematics textbook. He has been published in ISTE's Leading and Learning, Educational Technology Solutions, The Software Developers Journal, The Bangkok Post and Edutopia. He blogs with the Cooperative Catalyst, and is the Assessment group facilitator for Edutopia. He has also helped organize the first Edcamp in Canada, and TEDxKIDS@BC.
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Comments
Refreshing!
This is so refreshing! I've heard this math is linear argument for covering so many concepts in one year that if we take it off the table then maybe math teachers can feel less pressure about covering everything that will be on the test in one year.
What are your thoughts on coverage versus taking a few topics and letting students learn them in depth? I do like the idea of going off on tangents that students are interested in pursuing (pun kinda works here).
In an ideal world, the
In an ideal world, the curriculum would be full of support for teachers to explore all over the place and when students are old enough to be able to decide what it is they want to do with their lives, then they can specialize.
So I'd say that we need much more freedom, at least at the high school level. I also wonder at teaching algebra to middle school students. Only a tiny percentage of those students go into careers that require algebra, but they all need mathematical thinking. I'd rather focus on mathematical thinking, using whatever content works. A committed student can learn enough algebra in a year that their future in the sciences and/or engineering is possible.
Fabulous
Thanks for sharing this - it was a great moment in my day, having just watched John Bennett's TexManhattan talk which did not sit entirely well with me - although it has given me plenty to think about - this was deeply soothing! I am envious of being able to articulate this so well and so accessibly. I'll be sharing and re-reading! cheers, Jim
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