The Stars and Stripes
July 31, 1997
DoDEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) has tried to downplay these results, saying that certain skills had not been taught yet, but would be later in the year. Maybe the drop in computation scores are due to the fact that neither the DoDDS Math Standards or Progress Reports address computation proficiency. Maybe MathLand and Interactive Math are severely lacking in computation. Maybe the programs are just no good. Maybe, just maybe, that's why DoDEA has changed their policy and now allow teachers to supplement.
Did you know that the DoDDS math standards state, in bold type, that beginning in kindergarten and in every subsequent grade, "It is understood that all students will have access to calculators at all times." (According to Public Agenda poll, 86% of parents think their kids should learn to do arithmetic by hand including memorizing multiplication tables, before starting to use calculators.) DoDDS Standards never mention computational proficiency, but state that students should be proficient in the following:
Gr. 5 "Work cooperatively to reach agreement about the meaning of words & definitions."
Gr. 6 "Compare the geometric shapes of the homes of various species of animals."
Gr. 8 "Write poems or journal entries about relationships between math and real life."
Did you know that MathLand authors tell teachers that "their job is not to dispense knowledge," but to facilitate, and provide opportunities for children to discover for themselves. Teachers are told that "they don't need to have all of the answers; they can roll up their sleeves and join the students in explorations." And that teachers "should view themselves as co-learners," as "students enjoy having teachers learn along with them." The following statements were taken from the MathLand Teacher's Guides:
Question: How should teachers approach this unit if they are uncomfortable with the number systems presented here? (Gr. 5)
Answer: "The beauty of the constructivist philosophy is that it doesn't rely on the teacher as the dispenser of knowledge, but as a facilitator of experiences. In this case, the teacher should view herself as a co-learner."
Question: "The structure of these projects seems so open. Why is that, and what should the teacher be doing while the students work independently? (Gr. 5)
Answer: "The MathLand teacher is a facilitator, rather than a dispenser of knowledge, whose role it is to set up the "big picture"...then let the students take over. The teacher is free to spend time observing, talking with, and assessing students."
"...there is no such thing as a number fact. There are only relationships and these relationships are created inside the child's head." (Gr.2)
As if that weren't bad enough, the MathLand authors also suggest that teachers should vary their expectations, based on student's "developmental maturity" and level of interest. The Teacher's Guide states: "For students who seem interested, show them how to use parentheses" and "if students become frustrated, [teachers should] encourage them to move on."
"Bashful students or students learning to write [may] tape record their reports..." The authors believe that "children tend to challenge themselves at appropriate levels." (Not my kids!) Besides, they claim, "Even if the students are told what is right, they may hear it, but they won't really know it until they are ready." (These comments are from various sections of the third grade MathLand teacher's guides.)
The authors believe that "delaying the memorization of multiplication and division facts until fourth grade gives students time to develop [meaning-based] kinds of skills." Yet in fifth grade, children are still learning "tricks" to memorize the hardest-to-remember facts (6 x 6 to 9 x 9, which Japanese second graders have mastered) and using base ten blocks to multiply and divide.
Did you know that 87% of parents and 84% of faculty surveyed in 1994-95 by DoDEA stated that increasing student achievement in mathematics was a high priority? According to DoDEA, nearly all parents and faculty want DoDEA schools to strengthen their role in teaching students academic skills. According to the 1994 Public Agenda poll, 96% of Americans want tougher and more challenging courses in the basics. And what did we get? MathLand.
Denise McArthur
Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan
from The Stars and Stripes
July 31, 1997
Reproduced by permission