For decades, a conflict has been simmering in the elementary school classrooms of the English-speaking world. On one side are those who place mathematics understanding above all else and whose teaching methods involve asking students to figure out ways to solve authentic mathematics problems, focusing on the process while de-emphasizing the importance of obtaining correct answers. On the other side, often painted as stuffy traditionalists, are those who assert the importance of explicit teaching, practice, and memorization. Welcome to the math wars........California’s new mathematics framework, for example, devotes two chapters to equity and engagement. In these chapters, we read that equitable and engaging teaching involves using open, engaging tasks, teaching towards social justice and inviting students’ questions and conjectures............Original Article
My Take - Okay, but will the kids be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide when they graduate? Without a calculator!
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