Schmoker, Chapter 7

This is it.  The final chapter.  Making Math Meaningful!!!

OK.. Here I am again... Mixed emotions... I agree... I disagree... It's just so confusing...
Schmoker quote #1: We need to ensure that math curriculum is coherent, that it is always taught with the same powerful elements of good lessons we've been looking at in every chapter, and that it is infused with literacy. (pg. 194)
Sarah quote #1: I agree!

Schmoker quote #2:  As we embark on yet another (i.e. national) standards movement, we should continue to examine not only the number but the nature of math standards - the conventional "algebra-based mainstream" that we seem hesitant to honestly scrutinize. (pg. 195).

Sarah quote #2: Hmmm... OK... I kinda agree, except if colleges are going to require so much algebra, then I think we need to prepare kids.  Also, we don't want to give other nations an advantage over our students.  They need to be able to compete globally.

Schmoker quote #3:  And for math to have meaning, " the interplay of numbers and words," or literacy must become a central feature of math education.  (pg. 195).

Sarah quote #3:  I do agree literacy, both reading and writing, must be a part of the student's mathematical experience.  If students cannot conceptualize or verbalize what they are doing mathematically, they probably do not fully understand the concept.

Schmoker quote #4: Good standards need to focus on a small enough number of topics so that teachers can spend months, not days on them. (pg. 196)

Sarah quote #4:  I don't know... That is what is happening now, and our students are not getting to colleges or careers mathematically ready.  Just because there have been large numbers of standards does not mean the teachers actually taught all of them.

Schmoker quote #5:  For starters, about 80 percent of the overall workforce, including those in the highest-paying, most prestigious careers, will never use anything beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division... Even among those in the most lucrative, fastest-growing, "upper white collar" careers, only 30 percent will ever use any Algebra1.  And only 14 percent of that highly educated subgroup will make extensive use of Algebra II or other advanced courses. (pg. 199)

Sarah quote #5:  Well, that could explain a lot of things!  Perhaps that is why our American workers have such a hard time being competitive for jobs that requiring extensive use of math.  I don't agree with just teaching kids addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  That is TUNNEL VISION if I ever saw tunnel vision.  Our planet cannot continue to be sustained on the simplicities of life.  We need those deep thinkers like we had centuries ago.  We have too many things still unexplained.  I guess I disagree with this probably more than with most of what he said.  This is not the time to simply do the basics.  We can't continue to survive on the basics.  So... I say, "NO" we need to step it up... Everybody wants to believe so much in evolution; well we need to evolve mathematically!

Here are some things Schmoker thinks we need to do now:

1.  Have teams create leaner standards maps for every math course at every grade level.
(I assumed this is what Common Core State Standards has attempted to accomplish, but maybe not!)
2.  Become truly obsessive about the use of effective teaching strategies in all K-12 math courses.
(I agree wholeheartedly with this statement!)
3.  Systematically begin to create and integrate opportunities for students to more deeply understand and apply essential math concepts.
(I agree, and I also believe that this should be done through the consultation of both college and industry professionals.)

Now, what did you think?

Sarah