There is a whole “Spirit of Math” school system going on now. Amazing but not surprising.

As for practice; it makes permanent, whether for good or ill. Someone said, “An evil practice is not improved by persistence”.

Another resource to help struggling parents and students are the worksheet factory programs put out by this company:  http://www.schoolhousetech.com/

They offer free trial versions.

Thanks for the suggestions for resources!

It is very hard for me to understand the bad faith of the school system!

Human nature being what it is, I am now resigned to the fact that in North America any approach to teaching math that has a foreign flavour will be attacked, will be purposefully or ignorantly misunderstood, and its results dismissed as not proving “real” mathematical knowledge.

I don’t think Singapore math stands a chance of ever being adopted and I think some of the reactions against Khan academy also stem from the fact that Khan’s background is not white Anglo-Saxon.

So yeah, .. that to some degree I have come to accept this as a fact of life.

But how can you possibly not adopt homegrown programs such as Spirit of Math or Jump Math?
Both are better by leaps and bounds then what’s in the current textbooks or what is ad-libed by elementary teachers.

Jump Math is being branded - and I’m beginning to believe that this is done on purpose to keep more vocal middle-class parents unaware of the quality of the method - as only being appropriate for students experiencing difficulties with math.

So Jump Math doesn’t aim high enough for our elementary teachers.
Personally I think the problem is that the program does require practice, it does require teachers to actually understand what they are doing and to pay a lot of attention to how they present concepts and to how they give feedback.
In addition the method quite scripted which of course, destroys the creativity of the teaching process and chips away at the freedom any professional should experience in his work!

Then we have Spirit of Math created by a teacher and offered for free to TDSB to use.
Well this program is too elitist! And again it requires competent teachers to teach it.

Does anybody see a theme here? ...
That for our children to learn we need both
1) good curriculum
and to be able to implement a good curriculum in good faith and in its spirit we also need
2) teachers competent in the subject?

One would think this is common sense.
Well, not in the North American school systems. Here political corectness and a fanatic obsession with so-called creativity trumps reality and common sense every time.

Europe, I’ve read through your blog post, and my conclusion is that the teachers’ unions are behind these terrible teaching methods.  From what you’ve said, teachers would have to be learned in the subject matter, and also with a good syllabus, they would have to work hard.  Neither of the above would sit well with these very powerful unions.  If my suspicions are correct, then it’s too bad, as I’m quite sure that there are many teachers who truly want to teach children well.  Unfortunately what also inhibits teachers is that they in turn were badly taught, so they may not recognize bad curricula—sad.

When our family came back from Asia, and my children were in school here, I simply ignored the nonsense, and non teaching.  I tutored math, and taught spelling and grammar.  They socially promote children anyhow, so why not teach them at home properly?  My son got an excellent grasp of math, and understood concepts in depth.  He had to be turtored in highschool because of a lazy teacher.

In the States, I believe that some of the Singapore math curricula had been introduced, but teachers were confounded by it, but, correct me if I’m wrong, I believe that the Khan academy is being used in California.  If this is the case, the teachers could learn along with their students, and therefore all would benefit.

Bev, unfortunately I don’t think it’s the unions or even mainly the unions. A lot of times is the teachers themselves.

When it comes to math, I think a lot of elementary teachers don’t even know that they don’t know because they have no term of comparison and because our society is one in which not only is acceptable to “not be good at math” (which usually means the person can’t even do subtractions and additions without a calculator ) but it is also somehow a sign of distinction and creativity, of not lowering oneself to the nitty-gritty mundane details of life.

Today we are 30-40-50 years down the road from the start of implementing the new math methods they themselves don’t have a strong enough foundation.
Whole generations have weak math foundations and the people who were better at math tended not to choose to be elementary teachers because they had better options or they were rejected by the selection process for teacher’s college who favors for admission people with a very child-centered mindset.

I’ve heard a few stories of teachers, math and science teacher trained in other countries from countries such as China that went to teachers college, got certified, started teaching here and are extremely unhappy or have switched fields because they couldn’t accept what is happening in the schools and how powerless they are to set expectations.

Bev,

Sorry, you couldn’t be more wrong.  You forget that the teachers unions include math teachers too.  Our local president of OSSTF is a math teacher.  Whenever we talk about the current state of math, she rolls her eyes just like you and Europe do.  You also need to remember that it is the union that defends teachers who are disciplined for using ‘non-approved’ sources.  I know that you want to believe that unions are the root of all evil, but try to use logic.  Try to figure out who has the most to gain from the programs used in schools - the unions?  the boards? the FOE’s?  the publishers?

I had mentioned, Europe in my blog posting that the teachers themselves are poor at math.  I don’t see it quite the same way as you do, i.e.: math being viewed as nitty gritty.  It’s been so badly taught for so many decades (and also curricula is oftentimes badly neglected) that people in NA are afraid of math.  I think this is definitely to the advantage of the unions.  They don’t want accountability, so when a child fails miserably at math, reading, etc., the parents are told that their child is ld.  Parents naturally think that curricula is well-developed and that teachers are well-educated in subject matter.  This is why we need this blog—to educate the public as to what’s really going on

Bev,

How are you on math skills?

If you are ever given an opportunity to teach 30 grade tens some complex algebra manipulations in the optics unit in science - take it-  the experience will provide some serious ammunition to your next blog. 

I could rant with the best of them but I am busy filling the holes/gaps for the children that are infront of me.   

And here dear people is the difference between ranting and affecting change—one is productive the other is simply a release of misplaced frustration. 

We are missing a piece of the pie.  That is why there so little progress….... and so much frustration.

How are my math skills?  They were very good.  and grade 10 science and math were not a challenge whatsoever—so what’s your point?

This blog is about information and opinion.  Awareness is important.
 
I’m glad you find your job very challenging.  Mine, before I retired was challenging—loved it.  Along with my job, I had to watch that the teachers stuck to the curricula, and arrange babysitters/ activities for all the days when my children were again home from school.  Plus I ran a learning centre in the evenings—children were starved for basic skills. 
Darn right a lot of us are frustrated…

Bev,

My point is simple - stop lumping all teachers in the same basket…... putting all your eggs in one basket .....you know what happens.

Lo’s of good people are fighting the good fight in all venues of this dialogue….......  lumping all teachers in the “bad”  basket loses allies that could provide the critical mass that will affect real change.

To be absolutely clear:  do not marginalize the good teachers fighting the good fight.

The ranting is not helpful to the *fight* although you might find it therapeutic….

My point Bev is are you trying to affect change or are you looking for restitution and your “pound of flesh”?

I respect either, as I have not walked in your shoes,  but I encourage you to be honest about your motivation.

best.

Excuse me?

Bev,

I believe Mirka is asking you to clarify your motivation in making blanket, accusatory statements.  I think that is fair game.  You are constantly questioning other people’s/group’s motivation, why not clarify your own?