Forum:Working Math

I'm assuming this is an area to concept test a new forum idea.

So, here goes. U.S. schools continue to struggle in math performance. Every state has standards for math, but there is significant variance across states in the particulars of those standards. According to Thomas Fordham Foundation, only 3 states (CA, IN, and MA) get a grade of "A" on the quality and clarity of their math standards.

Effectively teaching to standards requires (a) curriculum that provides a rich set of problems for each standard, (b) an ability to assess students regularly and differentiate instruction where possible, (c) an ability to engage students in multiple modes that go beyond our standard paper-and-pencil computation approaches, and repetition enough that spirals through standards.

This is a ton of work.

Most math instruction is still the old model. This is just because this conventional wisdom has been passed on and it is extremely difficult for overworked teachers to dramatically change practice without strong leadership and support from principal and administration.

Another big challenge is materials. Textbooks are nationally marketed and while there are customized versions for states, they may provide little help in deeply teaching to standards.

But teachers do not rely on the textbooks. There is a lot of creative destruction at work. Math teachers are borrowing, inventing and sharing ideas all over the place. And it's not just materials/ problems ... it is ideas for pedagogy and execution, assessment, and differentiated learning.

There are brilliant things going on in math instruction all over the country but no central place to share them.

This forum would be a place to document and share best practices, organized specifically around grades and standards. In other words, the teachers themselves would contribute, edit, and evaluate the content. Perhaps we could start with primary school.

That's it in a nutshell. I'm thinking this might be an appropriate place / infrastructure for such an effort?