Welcome to WISE Math - BC Chapter
Hello!
As a concerned parent here on Vancouver Island, I wanted to see what I could do about the dismal state of math being taught in our BC public schools. I have 2 daughters in Grades 4 & 5, and a husband with a financial background, as well as an MBA in Finance. I find it terribly unsettling that my eldest daughter started having trouble with math almost 3 years ago now, and when I started asking for extra help for her at home, I didn't find a lot of support in the school with teaching her the basics of math.
Last year when she was in Grade 4, she was given Sudoku math puzzles, computer games, and various grids and graphs, which confused her even more in terms of learning basic addition, subtraction and multiplication. Trying to help her at home only led to more frustration as her father was unable to understand the homework she was bringing home from school, and the flash cards I had asked her to review on a regular basis, fell by the wayside as she kept saying, "that's not how we learn it at school", and the "old fashioned" way wasn't any fun. Meanwhile, we all noticed (including grandparents and various aunts and uncles) a huge change in her deameanour. Her self confidence was at an all time low. This may have all been a coincidence, but things didn't start improving until we enrolled her in a learning centre this past September.
Now she is flourishing. She is lucky to have a teacher who teaches the kids multiplication tables and long division, trying to prepare the class for middle school. But it's learning a lot of math basics at the learning centre, which has really made a difference in my daughter. She had to go all the way back to 1+2 and 2+3, just to start where she was confident in her math. This is pretty scary, considering that she is 11 years old. But, 6 months on, she is doing triple digit multiplication and long division. Her confidence has come back, and the negative behaviour has abated. She is back loving school, and is encouraged to see her improvement in the classroom. We are pleased with these changes, but saddened to see how many kids aren't able to receive the same attention as our daughter, and they will continue to struggle with math throughout middle school and high school.
As for our youngest daughter, she's the one with the "math brain". She has a knack for math and has always done well in this subject. Unfortunately for her, she is now in a Grade 4 classroom where graphs, computer games and grids are taking the place of flash cards and multiplication tables. It's discouraging knowing that even children who have a natural understanding of math are eventually giving it up as it doesn't make any sense to them. They decide math is too confusing and move on to another subject. This, I find, is even more disheartening as kids who have a natural inclination towards math, are turning away from it based on how it's being taught in our schools.
This initiative is about bringing awareness to concerned people here in BC, and to spread the word about the WISE Math initiative which was featured in Maclean's a few weeks ago. We are here to support this initiative, and want to see if we can get basic math back in our schools. Please sign in support of the WISE Math initiative at www.wisemath.org, and keep watching our blog for more updates on this discussion.
Thank you for your interest and we'll keep you posted.
Regards,
Tara Houle
As a concerned parent here on Vancouver Island, I wanted to see what I could do about the dismal state of math being taught in our BC public schools. I have 2 daughters in Grades 4 & 5, and a husband with a financial background, as well as an MBA in Finance. I find it terribly unsettling that my eldest daughter started having trouble with math almost 3 years ago now, and when I started asking for extra help for her at home, I didn't find a lot of support in the school with teaching her the basics of math.
Last year when she was in Grade 4, she was given Sudoku math puzzles, computer games, and various grids and graphs, which confused her even more in terms of learning basic addition, subtraction and multiplication. Trying to help her at home only led to more frustration as her father was unable to understand the homework she was bringing home from school, and the flash cards I had asked her to review on a regular basis, fell by the wayside as she kept saying, "that's not how we learn it at school", and the "old fashioned" way wasn't any fun. Meanwhile, we all noticed (including grandparents and various aunts and uncles) a huge change in her deameanour. Her self confidence was at an all time low. This may have all been a coincidence, but things didn't start improving until we enrolled her in a learning centre this past September.
Now she is flourishing. She is lucky to have a teacher who teaches the kids multiplication tables and long division, trying to prepare the class for middle school. But it's learning a lot of math basics at the learning centre, which has really made a difference in my daughter. She had to go all the way back to 1+2 and 2+3, just to start where she was confident in her math. This is pretty scary, considering that she is 11 years old. But, 6 months on, she is doing triple digit multiplication and long division. Her confidence has come back, and the negative behaviour has abated. She is back loving school, and is encouraged to see her improvement in the classroom. We are pleased with these changes, but saddened to see how many kids aren't able to receive the same attention as our daughter, and they will continue to struggle with math throughout middle school and high school.
As for our youngest daughter, she's the one with the "math brain". She has a knack for math and has always done well in this subject. Unfortunately for her, she is now in a Grade 4 classroom where graphs, computer games and grids are taking the place of flash cards and multiplication tables. It's discouraging knowing that even children who have a natural understanding of math are eventually giving it up as it doesn't make any sense to them. They decide math is too confusing and move on to another subject. This, I find, is even more disheartening as kids who have a natural inclination towards math, are turning away from it based on how it's being taught in our schools.
This initiative is about bringing awareness to concerned people here in BC, and to spread the word about the WISE Math initiative which was featured in Maclean's a few weeks ago. We are here to support this initiative, and want to see if we can get basic math back in our schools. Please sign in support of the WISE Math initiative at www.wisemath.org, and keep watching our blog for more updates on this discussion.
Thank you for your interest and we'll keep you posted.
Regards,
Tara Houle
Great start Tara! This problem has to be fixed. Thank-you for being part of the solution, and offering us this opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue.
ReplyDeleteJanice
WISE Math is coming to the airwaves. Be sure to tune into Rex Murphy tomorrow on X Country Checkup, CBC Radio, 1-3 pm PST. He'll be talking about this particular issue. For more information, goto www.cbc.ca/checkup.
ReplyDeleteWonderful start Tara, Thank you for all your hard work on this. We must now spread the word! I will be tuning into Rex Murphy tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGood start, Tara! We'll be sending folks your way, and we encourage British Columbians concerned about these issues to make themselves known to you. We at WISE Math central are seeing slow progress but we need parents, educators and professional mathematicians (well, professionals of all stripes) to make their voice heard. The future of our children is at stake.
ReplyDeleteIf others wish to start local chapters or parent-led initiatives to remediate problems with the teaching of math in your district, and would like to organize under the WISE Math banner, visit us at the main WISE Math web site and let us know of your intentions. We've begun a directory of WISE Math locals, chapters and affilliates.
We'll be watching your progress.
R. Craigen
WISE Math Cofounder
Dear Tara
ReplyDeleteGlad to see your blog...hope we can reach a critical mass of BC people interested in this issue. Have you got any of the so-called new math resources, such as "Math Made Easy". It is hard for me to be critical if I haven't seen the material!
Good luck
Robert Cahn
Victoria, BC
Ladies and gentlemen,
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for telling you this: the problem is more widespread than commonly claimed. More than just to a certain province, more than to a certain country. It's the current "fashion":
Here is a four-day old TDSB trustee, in a public newsletter:
"Our public school system is the envy of much of the world, and a source of justifiable pride for the citizens of Ontario. But there is always room for improvement. With a new Premier about to be chosen, and a potential election on the horizon, all the political parties will be reviewing their education policies. This is perhaps the best time to have a conversation about what our schools, and our students, really need."
I suppose he is talking about Canada, not just about Ontario. Does that sound reasonable ? If not, how is it possible ?
Much less discussed (actually, hardly ever, as parents aren't in the field) is the quality of textbooks - and it's not the usual criticism you hear. It's that books are written by people of low qualifications - a master's degree turns out to be a good example, here! - and vouched for by people - consultants etc. - of undefined expertise!
This isn't being a snob on my part, it is seeing textbooks where an author would make statements for which in other corners of the world, in other times, even a student would have been flunked. And it is the unbelievable shallowness of these textbooks, in terms of the discipline they purport to teach. If university professors could just tell you how they have to struggle to first have their students "unlearn" certain things they came with from high school ...
Deriving from this is teacher preparation. No, not in the "art of teaching", but in the very subject they teach. And I'm talking all the way to those allowed to form new (math) teachers! It is not hard to reach their limits, it can happen to see that their level of knowledge rivals the one at which they work (teach). This is seemingly a result of the high efficiency policy: "we teach you what you need to know, in order to "succeed" - no, you won't need more!" While here a teacher is anointed after about five courses in university in their field, in other parts of the world that discipline (its various branches) was studied for four-five years, to the exclusivity of almost all else (and, as a consequence, graduates were not called "teachers"). In this regard, "WISE Math" has already pronounced itself. In terms of textbook quality, I'm not sure I can recall anything. Obviously, very good teachers can't do much with a bad textbook (curriculum, bosses etc.), because they won't be allowed to.
Have you ever tried to get in touch with people in other parts of the world, where school used to be very serious, to see what they would have to tell you ? Have you tried to see their (once upon a time) textbooks ? You should try.
Hello again bloggers, our efforts to bring this issue to the attention of both our local COPACS (63) as well Provincial decision makers continues. Please review the following petitions and make certain your voice is heard;
ReplyDeleteCOPAC 63: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/common-sense-math-for-our-kids.html
Province of BC: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/mastering-the-basics-of-mathematics-in-bc-schools.html
I am now on facebook. Link is here
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/WISE-Math-BC/396278063841116
or just look up WISE Math BC on the facebook site.
we have started a revolution. 3 provincial petitions, 1 national petition. Story appeared tonight:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/petitions-press-provinces-to-put-emphasis-on-basic-math-skills/article16240118/
Continued coverage of above is here:
ReplyDeletehttp://globalnews.ca/news/1070386/parents-across-canada-fight-for-return-to-traditional-math-lessons/
And will be on CHEK News tonight (Victoria station) 6-7 pm. Tx.
More media coverage here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bcs-educational-reforms-are-running-into-resistance/article16276583/
and here
http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/news-blog/parents-petition-changes-math-education
video shows this mum should be the poster child for math reform throughout Canada and BC
ReplyDeletehttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEGijN_8R0&feature=share&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwZEGijN_8R0%26feature%3Dshare
the question of Math and what to do about it, is front page news on the Globe and Mail today. Main article is here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/making-the-grade-the-provincial-push-for-better-math-scores/article16290351/?page=1
Hi There,
ReplyDeleteI'll be on CBC Radio this Wednesday, Feb. 5, to discuss this issue on BC Almanac. Segment should be aired live between 12:30-1. Details here:
Host: Mark Forsythe,
Format: interview and then calls from our listeners.
Topic: math, and why it needs to go back to basics
Note: We will also hear from Cynthia Nichol, she's a professor of pedagogy and curriculum in math education at UBC. It only see