 |
| Image from Microsoft Office clip art |
"The use of algorithms brought about a democratization of computation; people no longer had to rely on the select few who were competent users of the abacus." - Fosnot & Dolk (Young Mathematicians at Work; Constructing Multiplication and Division," 2001, page 101)
The democratization of computation ...
I believe that all students deserve a quality education.
Our math text this week was able to help me really connect the dots on this idea, though. It's not just about treating children fairly and honoring their cultures in the classroom. As critically important as these are, there's more ... education provides students with the skills they need to participate in a democratic society. I could say and write those words before, but now I feel like I'm beginning to understand what they really mean.
Knowledge used to be held by the few. Those who could perform calculations on an abacus, for example. Literacy, too, used to be the privilege of the few. These skills gave the educated power and opportunity. Democratic values demand that all citizens have this power and opportunity to participate in the thinking that builds our country. What does that mean for us as teachers?
I also read "Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers," by Freeman and Freeman (2009) this week. It explains how just learning conversational English is not enough to help bilingual students be successful in English speaking classrooms - they also need to develop the academic language of schools. Without these tools of thought, they are not as successful in the classroom and in life.
So our students (whether they are ELL or not) need access to the tools of thought. They need number sense and academic language. It is our job and our joy to help them learn these tools of thought and to help them learn to think. Doesn't the following quote apply to so much more than mathematics? Isn't it what we want for our students?
"Children who learn to think, rather than to apply the same procedure by rote regardless of the numbers, will be empowered." (Fosnot & Dolk, 2001, page 102)
I was also thinking about equitable education during our math class last week. When Allison brought up the benefits of the district's pacing guide for math, I thought it was so interesting for her to point out that the guide was also a reference for us to examine what children are supposed to be exposed to in math at that grade level across all schools. A way to ensure equitable education. I had never considered that before. I had always assumed the pacing guide was something the district put out for no other reason than stressing us out when we were not where we supposed to be in math (or whatever the subject might be). It still does that, but now I think I will also look at it as a way to keep my teaching focused on important mathematical ideas that my students need to learn throughout the year.
ReplyDelete