Subject: Seymour Papert and Mathetics

Posted by Michael Round on 12/10/2010
In Reply To:Seymour Papert and Mathetics Posted by Neha Celik on 12/9/2010

Message:

My copy of this wonderful book is from 1980. There have been a number of good suggestions on math reform on the recent thread. Likely, there have been a number of good suggestions over the years. Yet, annually, we hear about how poor we're doing in math. For 50+ years!

It's also been suggested often times the "solution" provided only exacerbates the problem.

The common entity at the core of math education for a century is the NCTM. They set the table. Things don't improve. They rearrange the table. Things don't improve. Members retire, only to be replaced by others educated under the reforms of the past. The status quo is reinforced.

And this status quo, coupled with the demands of NCLB - which both Democrats and Republics supported - only solidified the status quo but also guaranteed a downward spiral.

It saddens - and angers - me to see all the good stuff we talk about, but know it can't happen in our school system. It hasn't for 50 years. Is there reason to hope things will change?

Mike Round