Comments on: Maths teaching: “Oh dear” http://www.educationbynumbers.org.uk/2010/02/23/maths-teaching-oh-dear/ The Tyranny of Testing Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:35:42 +0200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Bald http://www.educationbynumbers.org.uk/2010/02/23/maths-teaching-oh-dear/comment-page-1/#comment-490 John Bald Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:36:39 +0000 http://www.educationbynumbers.org.uk/?p=345#comment-490 The government's maths strategy has been botched, and this has caused knock-on problems that schools are being pressurised to deal with. The solution is to teach calculation skills more effectively at the outset and then teach problem solving. Applying problem solving in the process of teaching calculation is depriving children of the calculation skills they need in order to solve the problems. And by teaching effectively, I mean making the basis of all of the work very clear, and then practising. The government’s maths strategy has been botched, and this has caused knock-on problems that schools are being pressurised to deal with. The solution is to teach calculation skills more effectively at the outset and then teach problem solving. Applying problem solving in the process of teaching calculation is depriving children of the calculation skills they need in order to solve the problems. And by teaching effectively, I mean making the basis of all of the work very clear, and then practising.

]]> By: Linda OCarroll http://www.educationbynumbers.org.uk/2010/02/23/maths-teaching-oh-dear/comment-page-1/#comment-478 Linda OCarroll Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:58:10 +0000 http://www.educationbynumbers.org.uk/?p=345#comment-478 Here's another of my left-of-field answers. Delete it if you wish, Warwick. Yes, we all know that many employers justifiably complain about kids leaving school without necessary maths skills for their particular industry. Most of us oldies have noticed that a lot of kids would be able to do a helluva lot more mental maths if they only knew their tables. But there's something else I've noticed while invigilating a lot of exams taken by external students from other countries in Europe. The Europeans are interested in their subject. Shock horror - at the end of the exam they say things like, "Did you enjoy question B?" and "What answer did you get for question 6?" British kids never want to discuss the exam or subject ever again. They call fellow students swots if they are seen reading a text book or heard discussing a school subject. The anti-education ethos in the UK is our core problem and it's endemic. A couple of decades ago, the Beeb (no doubt supported by some govt dept) started The Bill series which blatantly attempted to correct the anti-police ethos in the UK. Most cop dramas are helpful in that they show the police to be human, but The Bill appeared to have an agenda. To a great extent it succeeded, especially among younger kids. On the education front, Grange Hill was a great series, at least at first, especially when it addressed certain problems experienced by students. But it never successfully addressed the problem of the study-is-shameful ethos. Maybe it's time we had a new popular series on TV with an agenda to convince students that study is interesting, and that only dorks call a reading student a swot. I guess that's it. Here’s another of my left-of-field answers. Delete it if you wish, Warwick.

Yes, we all know that many employers justifiably complain about kids leaving school without necessary maths skills for their particular industry. Most of us oldies have noticed that a lot of kids would be able to do a helluva lot more mental maths if they only knew their tables. But there’s something else I’ve noticed while invigilating a lot of exams taken by external students from other countries in Europe. The Europeans are interested in their subject. Shock horror – at the end of the exam they say things like, “Did you enjoy question B?” and “What answer did you get for question 6?”

British kids never want to discuss the exam or subject ever again. They call fellow students swots if they are seen reading a text book or heard discussing a school subject. The anti-education ethos in the UK is our core problem and it’s endemic.

A couple of decades ago, the Beeb (no doubt supported by some govt dept) started The Bill series which blatantly attempted to correct the anti-police ethos in the UK. Most cop dramas are helpful in that they show the police to be human, but The Bill appeared to have an agenda. To a great extent it succeeded, especially among younger kids. On the education front, Grange Hill was a great series, at least at first, especially when it addressed certain problems experienced by students. But it never successfully addressed the problem of the study-is-shameful ethos.

Maybe it’s time we had a new popular series on TV with an agenda to convince students that study is interesting, and that only dorks call a reading student a swot.

I guess that’s it.

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