OH GOD, THE NEW NEW MATH: A CRISIS OF NUMBERS AND NONSENSE
It's official: the US education system is in a state of crisis. And no, we're not talking about the pandemic (although that's certainly not helping things). We're talking about the math crisis. That's right, folks, we're in the midst of a full-blown math emergency, and it's all thanks to the New New Math.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "What the hell is the New New Math?" And honestly, we don't blame you. It's a confusing mess of numbers, symbols, and concepts that seem to have been dreamed up by a team of deranged mathematicians who have never actually set foot in a classroom.
But let's back up a bit. According to a recent study by The Education Reporting Collaborative*(SEE BELOW), the COVID-19 pandemic has left US public school students half a year behind in math. To combat this crisis, school officials have hired "math coaches" and parents have spent a small fortune on math tutors. But here's the thing: these measures are only helping the so-called "smarties" who were already good at math to begin with. For the rest of us who gave up on math years ago, it's just more of the same old nonsense.
So what's the problem with math education? Well, where do we even begin? For starters, there's the issue of speed. Math lectures and tests move at a breakneck pace, leaving students feeling overwhelmed and confused. And don't even get us started on group work. Nothing like being stuck with a bunch of people who are just as clueless as you are to really drive home the fact that you're never going to understand this stuff.
Then there's the matter of biased textbooks. Let's face it, most math textbooks are written by people who are way too smart for their own good. They assume that everyone else is just as brilliant as they are, which leads to a lot of confusion and frustration for those of us who are just trying to get through the damn class.
And let's not forget about teacher ridicule. We've all had that one math teacher who seemed to take pleasure in pointing out our mistakes in front of the entire class. Thanks for the memories, Mrs. Johnson.
But perhaps the biggest problem with math education is the prevailing attitude toward "boneheads." You know who we're talking about: those of us who just don't get it no matter how hard we try. Instead of offering extra help or finding new ways to explain things, teachers often write us off as hopeless cases and move on to the next lesson.
All of these factors have contributed to a rise in grade inflation in high school math courses. Despite the fact that students are not necessarily mastering the material, grades have continued to rise due to factors like attendance and effort. This has made it difficult for colleges to gauge a student's actual knowledge of math, leading to a decline in preparedness among incoming STEM students.
So what's the solution? Honestly, we're not sure. Maybe it's time to go back to basics and focus on teaching math in a way that actually makes sense to everyone. Maybe it's time to stop assuming that everyone is a genius and start offering more personalized help to those who need it. Or maybe it's time to just throw in the towel and accept that some of us will never understand math no matter how hard we try.
Either way, one thing is clear: the New New Math has got to go. It's time for a new approach to math education, one that doesn't leave us all feeling like we're just not good enough. Because let's face it, we're all boneheads when it comes to math. And that's okay.
The Latest ‘Math Crisis’ - CounterPunch.org https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/09/19/the-latest-math-crisis/
PROOF POINTS: It's easier and easier to get an A in math https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-its-easier-and-easier-to-get-an-a-in-math/
*FROM BARD AI:
The Education Reporting Collaborative (ERC) is a nonprofit organization that supports education journalism. The ERC was founded in 2014 by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.
The ERC's funding comes from a variety of sources, including:
Foundations: The ERC's founding funders, as well as other foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Overdeck Family Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation, continue to provide significant support to the organization.
Individual donors: The ERC also receives support from individual donors who care about education journalism.
News organizations: Some news organizations, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR, also contribute to the ERC.
