Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Why this blog?

I've decided to try blogging. I self admit that I'm not a natural born writer. Actually I'm one of those who love math. Ok....so don't hit close quite yet. Please give me a chance. You see, I believe that it is imperative to get more people to love math for what it is in order to make the changes necessary to take the US from 29th in the world rankings (Education Week) in math back to the top 5 or even #1.

And it isn't just going to happen in schools.

You see, we have created a culture that is it ok to hate math. I can't tell you how many times I talk about what I do and people say "Oh, I hate math" or "I'm not good at math". And that's culturally acceptable. You wouldn't hear anyone say "I hate reading" or "I can't read" without getting some strange looks. But when it comes to math it's ok.


Like when Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, "there's no crying in baseball"....
There's no crying in math.

And if I get asked one more time "When are we ever going to use this?" I think I might cry myself. Because math is everywhere. Look around you, people. Squint if you have to.

In order to change that culture that I've described, we need everyone on board. The changes that are being made in math instruction right now are to help to change that culture. Yes, they come packaged in something called Common Core State Standards. I need you to believe me that it is really about good math instruction.

And let me address the "New Math" term I hear all the time. Folks, this isn't new math. Math hasn't changed. This is getting back to our roots. It's really understanding math instead of just memorizing a few math facts and calling it a day.

We need everyone on board. We need parents, businesses, teachers, and students to embark on this journey. This blog is specific to adults that are struggling with the math that is currently being taught in school. You may not understand the why of the changes and hopefully the blog posts that address some of those questions. In addition, if you have a topic that you'd like to be covered, let me know and I'll do the best I can to address that topic.

Together we can transform....and create a culture that loves math!


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