After the students of Kaktovik invented their new numerals, their scores on standardized math tests improved dramatically! Before, their average score was down in the 20th percentile. Afterwards, their scores shot above the national average.

Some argue that being able to work in both base 10 and base 20 was helpful - much like being bilingual.

I suspect that even more important was the sheer process of developing their own system of numerals! Getting engaged in mathematics is so much better than learning it passively.

But this was just the start of the story. The new numerals began to catch on... but then:

"Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, from 2002 to 2015, schools faced severe sanctions—or even closure—for not meeting state standards, provoking a “scare” that some local educators say squeezed the Kaktovik numerals into a marginal role despite the system’s demonstrated educational impact."

For more, read this:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-number-system-invented-by-inuit-schoolchildren-will-make-its-silicon-valley-debut/

(5/n)

@johncarlosbaez

This is very nice.

But what I like about non-standard pictures like the above is that if you haven't trained yourself to understand them, they look very mysterious. Unfortunately, most people see mathematics (and many other things, such as computing, physics, chemistry, ...) like this - lots of meaningless symbols.

Of course, if you study the link that John Baez is discussing, there is a lot of meaning in the symbols of this particular picture.