After returning from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Conference (NCTM) in Chicago a few days ago, I was somewhat puzzled by Ms. Thurman's assessment of NCTM's position on the math curricula for our nation's schools. Having heard Ms. Cathy Seeley (past president of NCTM) address this matter in a powerful and positive speech to those in attendance, it is my understanding that NCTM's position on mathematics has not changed.
Terms such as new math, fuzzy math, and the like only confuse the general public as to what is going on in our schools. Math is math - it has not changed; the world has changed and technology has changed all of the rules. Teaching methods are changing so that all students can become successful in mathematics - the practice of drill and kill is no longer effective. If our students are to be competitive in the world, then we need to teach them to become problem solvers (with all of the technology at their disposal), not just number regurgitaters.
In the 9/24/06 issue of the New York Times, Mr. Francis "Skip" Finnell (current NCTM president) states that "what some refer to as basic skills (for example, multiplication facts, and fluency with the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers) have always been a fundamental core of elementary mathematics. Always. But we want more. We want children to understand the mathematics they are learning and we want them to be able to solve problems, which is, in the long run, why we do mathematics."
We want all of our students to be engaged in more challenging mathematics. In order to accomplish this, we need to be able to use all of the tools before us - such as calculators and computers. Math scores continue to rise in Hamilton County Schools - we're not satisfied but we're showing improvement.
Research has shown that going back to just drill and kill teaching methods (remediation), results in slower growth. This is a position we cannot afford to take. Ms. Seely referred to uncovering the "untapped potential in our students." That should be our ultimate goal.
Buddy Sullivan
8th grade Algebra teacher
Dalewood Middle School
sullivan_ulyses@hcde.org