Education: The Problems With Teaching Math
It might be assumed that mathematics education in El Salvador and in ElPaso would be similar, unlike language instruction or instruction inhistory. After all, math is math, no matter if it is taught in English orSpanish, correct, especially at the relatively rudimentary elementaryschool level. Indeed, two professors who visited Latin America observed,some of "the problems teaching mathematics" faced by elementary schooleducators were "remarkably like our own," that is remarkably like theproblems faced by American educators. (Friesen, S. & Stone, M., 1996)However, the systems used to teach mathematics in both nations were oftenprofoundly different. As was commensurate with my own experience as an ElSalvadorian national, the Latin American student's education stressed drilland rote learning, while the American Children's education these educatorshad been exposed to, stressed creativity and conceptual understanding ofmathematical concepts. Friesen and Stone argued in favor of their program,entitled Great Explorations. The program included such fundamental pointsas making every exploration of a mathematical subject begin with a detailedstory and providing opportunities for student interpretation
The United States needs to recognize the needfor a structured mathematics program, with high national standards. Thus, by bridging the two systems ofrigor and raucous freethinking, of Latin American and United States matheducation, the ideal system of teaching math may be created. It is in thisaspect, perhaps, that the suggests of the Great Expectations program ofStone and Friesan were realized by my math education, by including "a rapidevolution from the simple to the profound. Just as Ihave benefited from the exposure to two different educational approaches inmy undergraduate career, so can this problematic area of American educationbenefit by making use of the techniques of other nations in elementary matheducation. , 1996) However, my teachers made little effort to select "fun activities whichdeal with important, useful mathematics" concepts and to "ensureparticipation requires the communication of original thought. , 1996) The authors write that in El Salvador, "we spent two days with studentsat the two major universities, as well as an entire day with grade twostudents at a large private school in San Miguel in the South of ElSalvador. I have also encountered what I consider a somewhatcontradictory assumption that math education is better in all othernations, including my own, and that America has much to learn from mathinstructions in other lands. This could be frustrating in creative and intellectually engagingsubjects such as literature, politics, and history. Much liketraining in a sport or a dance, once one knows the fundamentals or thesteps, only then the fun can begin. Anotherhelpful factor was the unquestioned and high expectations applied to me. Yet I wasblessed in my opportunities. Still, the stringentand rigorous discipline was helpful in studying mathematics. There seems to be an abiding assumption that one is either goodor bad in the subject. Here, I find myself quite challenged and impressedby the quality of education and rigor of debate in American classrooms,although I am grateful for the solid concepts instilled in me, through myeducation in El Salvador.
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