Teach Less, Learn More

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Math Educators in the U.S. are led to believe that they should  teach a huge number of memorized processes (a.k.a. cover the book).  Very often the material covered is not necessary for subsequent memorized processes, so it is soon forgotten.  As students go from one process to the next they are soon led to believe that they will never use any of what they are working so hard to memorize.  So when asked, "when are you ever going to use this?", they will almost invariably claim that they will never use it, that it is has no value.  After years of this repeated experience how could they possibly think otherwise??  And now, how much effort can we expect with this total lack of ownership by the students?

 

What We Do

In our system, we begin with basic concepts and allow students to use the logical part of their brains to create examples and "play" with simple concepts. Sometimes students help teachers create simple step-by-step processes (programs) that describe certain concepts such as definitions.  We work very hard to only teach students the concepts that will be used in the very near future (IOW, we keep the instruction in the learner's zone of proximal development).

The results: all students learn.  They learn general things so that they no longer have to memorize a hundred specific processes, but are able to create their own processes.  They are allowed free inquiry and construct the tools and thereby the freedom to become creative problem solvers, and most importantly they value what they have created. 

By focusing only on necessary concepts we have the time to incorporate methods of instruction, and various learning activities that are impossible in the current system due to limited time. These methods and activities include but are not limited to: addressing different styles of learning with multiple modalities, addressing cultural differences with cooperative learning activities that put the focus on the group instead of the individual, application methodology that integrates mathematics and communication with Science and Social studies, four subjects that have been traditionally taught in isolation from one another. Educators have seen the need for implementation of these methods grow clearer and clearer since the 1980's and before, but we are paralyzed. Our fear of not being enough tells us that we should be safe, and cover the book of memorized processes, limiting our learning activities to computation.