Battleground Schools


Please read this and blog about three 'stops' that you had when learning about the fraught history of mathematics education and curriculum in North America.

-       It was interesting to learn that many adults in North America have “negative” images on those who love mathematics; such as eggheads, nerds, mad scientists, and so on. In Korea, it is quite opposite. People who love and are good at mathematics are viewed “positive” and well-respected by others.
-       I was really surprised to see that “… non-mathematics specialists teach the majority of mathematics courses in the lower secondary grades” in certain schools. How can unqualified math teachers “teach” mathematics without strong background knowledge? I found it very ironic, because it is like unfit personal trainers get paid to “train” their clients.
-       It was interesting to see that as the USSR was beating the US in the space race, the US government decided to revise its’ mathematics education to “better [prepare] American children to become the elite rocket scientists of the future.” Although many believe schools being politically neutral, the curriculums can be affected hugely by political reasons.

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