Battleground Schools

1. Progressive Reform (1910 - 1940)
I was very surprised to learn that experimentation and inquiry based learning in math is not a new idea but rather a very old one. The idea was brought about by questioning and analyzing the education system and trying to improve it, similar to what has happened in the last few years in BC. This made me wonder how much the curriculum will change throughout my career and the impact I can have on its changing. If there are serious issues students are having with the curriculum, it should be revised in order to help the students. I worry that we will repeat the mistakes of the pass by not implementing the new curriculum and new ideas in all schools because teachers are more comfortable with their older systems and fixed viewpoints.

2. Attitudes toward math are contagious
Reading this part of the article I was reminded of how important a teacher's disposition is to the students. If a teacher does not like their subject or area in the curriculum it will have a negative impact on the students who might already have negative feelings towards that subject. Teachers should also be careful with how they discuss other subjects with their students. If students see teachers talking bad about other subjects, how can we expect them to come into that classroom with an open mind? I also think that math in particular has a bad reputation. Many students feel that math is something you are good at or you're not. Because of how math has been portrayed in the media, past experiences and friends/family experiences, it is almost cool to dislike math more that other subjects such as music or English.

3. The impact a test (TIMSS) had on the math wars in the US
I understand that a country would feel some disappointment in scoring low compared to other countries, however we must inquire why the scoring is what it is. Although it is natural to want to copy what the top ranked country is doing for their education system and pedagogical approaches, it is not that simple. The test does not account for the class size, which schools were selected to participate in the test, cultural differences in the attitudes towards schools, classroom demographics, and even the mental states of the students while they were taking the test are just a few things to consider when arguing for reformation. Yes we can learn a lot from other countries and the techniques they use in their classrooms, but we cannot simply copy them and expect the same result.