Location:Home » Caribbean » Assessment » What's Math Got to Do with It?: Helping Children Learn to Love Their Least Favorite Subject--and Why It's Important for America
Product Description An alarming look at what?s wrong with math education in the United States, and what we can do to change it
The United States is rapidly falling behind the rest of the developed world in terms of math education, and the future of our economy depends on the quality of teaching that our children receive today. A recent assessment of mathematics performance around the world ranked the U.S. twenty-eighth out of forty countries in the study. When the level of spending on education was taken into account, we sank to the very bottom of the list. According to Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University, statistics like these are all too common?we have reached the point of crisis, and a new course of action is crucial.
In this straightforward and inspiring book, Boaler outlines the nature of the math crisis by following the progress of students in middle and high schools over a number of years, observing which teaching methods are exciting students and getting results. Based on her research, she presents concrete solutions that will help reverse the trend, including classroom approaches, essential strategies for students, advice for parents on how to help children enjoy mathematics, and ways to work with teachers in schools. What?s Math Got To Do With It? is an indispensable book for all parents and educators and anyone concerned about the mathematical and scientific future of our society.
Very important read! October 30, 2008 This is a great book. Ms. Boaler gives us much to think about regarding Math teaching, learning, and the balance that needs to be struck. I do not think that all she has presented is workable in the classrooms but much is. The information certainly should be considered by teachers, parents, and educational administrators.
Math has everything to do with it September 13, 2008 As a middle school math teacher, I enjoyed reading about the research that Jo did. It validates much of what I've been doing over the years and gave me tons of new ideas to try. A must read for any math teacher or parent of a math student!
There is a better way to teach math September 2, 2008 We all agree that in a global economy, mathematical skill is of increasing importance. So what would be the characteristics of an ideal math education program?
How about: 1. Students perform well on standardized tests
2. Students come to appreciate math rather than hide under the bed at the mention of the word.
3. Students of mixed abilities come to respect each other's strengths and work together on solutions
4. Students readily apply their problem solving skills to problems outside the classroom
Wishful thinking? Jo Boaler's research says otherwise. Children are born with an appreciation of math. It is not necessary to create an interest, merely to keep from doing what traditional teaching methods do - turning the students away from math. Students enjoy being challenged and being told the explanations behind the formulas. If they do what they enjoy and understand it, then it should come as no surprise that they will perform better.
If you have any interest in either mathematics or education, I urge you to read this book. We owe it to our children to reform the way we teach math.
Important book August 11, 2008 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
No need to repeat the reviews above; I agree with them all. As a university professor of mathematics education who has grave concerns about the state of mathematics education in the US, I was thrilled to see this book. "What's Math..." covers a lot of ground, painting the math-education landscape, exposing the ugliness of the Math Wars, offering pictures of promising teaching practices, and suggesting ways educators and parents can take action. Yet Dr. Boaler does this all in one short book that is easy and entertaining to read and highly accessible to educators and non-educators alike. I believe two key audiences for this book are parents and school administrators, who both have considerable power over how and what mathematics is taught in schools and who could benefit from the big-picture view this book provides. My sincere hope is that this book finds its way to both audiences.
Extremely Valuable!! August 10, 2008 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I agree with the reviewers above...this is a page-turner! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been searching for the ways and means to help our children truly learn mathematics. I am a middle school math educator in the process of expanding my problem-centered mathematics classroom and I found Dr. Jo Boaler's book extremely valuable. It includes thorough explanations, based on years of research, of the value of problem-centered instruction and instructional concepts to help ALL children learn mathematics. Portions of the book are written for educators and other portions for parents but I found the entire book useful for me as an educator. I will be implementing many of her ideas in my own classroom. If you are interested in how our children truly learn mathematics and how you can help them understand math more deeply I encourage to add this book to your collection.
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