Chapter 2 is a trap.
I dislike math because of how it makes me feel stupid, and will go out of my way to avoid doing math in my everyday life. That said, the first page of Chapter 2 had me doing math — for fun. Why had no one ever told me and I never noticed that an odd number times an odd number always generates an odd answer? Or that an even number times an even number is always an even number? Or that an even number times an odd number is always an even number (11)? I did math — voluntarily — to test out the statements. Then I shared the statements with my family members, and they tested out the statements. For the first time ever, we had a conversation that I initiated about math! This chapter sucked me in, and had me asking questions and applying math in the world around me.
When I think about math classrooms, I think about black numbers on a white worksheet. I think of textbooks. I think of working in isolation to earn the red checkmarks beside correct answers. This chapter emphasized that math is more than that. Math should be about “not stopping when you get to an answer. Continue investigating the situation and posting new problems until you gain insight and have a generalized understanding of the situation” (14). When I came to the discounts and taxes problem on page 14, I analyzed the problem and applied it to other situations. Then I started thinking about how I could adapt that question to real-life situations for students. Many students’ first jobs are in retail. If they are the clerk, are they correctly calculating the discount? If they are the purchaser, are they getting the best deal? I see how this type of question connects to the world outside of the classroom and makes math relevant for students. Alberta Education expects teachers to prepare students to “make connections between mathematics and its applications” and “make informed decisions as contributors to society.” The phrase “authentic learning” is somewhat overused, but making math more inquiry based makes for student-centered, authentic learning experiences (Inspiring Education, Policy Direction 1). Today’s math lessons provide opportunities to collaborate. Students share their findings and learn from others. In English Language Arts, an audience is part of the writing process because students produce better work when they know others will read it. I was excited to read on page 24 the Missing Fraction Mysteries that students shared their findings on the board. All students benefit from this approach as it not only builds a learning community, but there is more opportunity for feedback from peers as they exchange, debate, and negotiate ideas. This approach puts students in charge of their learning. I predict that curriculum redesign will see teachers transform into learning facilitators instead of deliverers of content or lecturers.
The only questions I have are: How do parents respond to this teaching approach? It is likely so different from what they experienced in their school years, is there criticism?