Alfie KohnDec 3, 2024

What educator David Page said many years ago about math is true across the disciplines: When kids give the wrong answer, they're often just answering a different question. And our challenge is to figure out what that question is.

Related: A nice essay on the value of encouraging students to ask "I wonder what if...?" rather than "Did I do this correctly?": https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/40537/seeing-struggling-math-learners-as-sense-makers-not-mistake-makers. (Again, this essay focuses on math, but the shift in question is just as valuable in other fields.)

Seeing Struggling Math Learners as 'Sense Makers,' Not 'Mistake Makers' | KQED

One teacher is reframing how math is taught by focusing more on how students are thinking instead right or wrong answers.

Show threadAlbert Cardona
@alfiekohn The switch from punishing to nurturing doesn't seem to come naturally to modern teachers.
Dec 3, 2024 at 8:31pmWeb
Show threadAlbert CardonaDec 3, 2024

@alfiekohn Nice to see this spelled out:

"Many math teachers will say a community of learners like Wees describes is a fairytale classroom with no time constraints and no standards to cover. They say their jobs depend on covering all the topics on the test and helping students correct their errors, not taking days to uncover the thinking behind that error. Wees acknowledges the limitations that many math teachers struggle with, but points out the way most people teach math now doesn’t work, so it could be considered a waste of time anyway."

#MathTeacher #math #teaching

Show threadMikalaiDec 3, 2024
@albertcardona @alfiekohn
Indeed, skill learning has same try->observe->try-again-correcting loop in walking and math. And in walk learning we have more humility and encourage a small person. Not with math. Class already has some dynamic, etc.
Show threadRobert LinkDec 5, 2024
@albertcardona @alfiekohn Yes. The point of standardization is to eliminate thinking. This is news?