{"id":67012,"date":"2023-02-02T00:39:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T05:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=67012"},"modified":"2023-02-02T00:39:34","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T05:39:34","slug":"why-teachers-are-letting-students-solve-math-problems-in-lots-of-different-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/why-teachers-are-letting-students-solve-math-problems-in-lots-of-different-ways\/","title":{"rendered":"Why teachers are letting students solve math problems in lots of different ways"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Families might be wondering why\u00a0their child\u2019s math classroom looks so different from what they remember<\/a>\u00a0in school.<\/p>\n

Why aren\u2019t teachers putting students on the spot and getting them to prove that they know the math? Why are teachers letting students solve problems in lots of different ways instead of just telling them how to do it?<\/p>\n

Teachers are moving beyond\u00a0traditional ways of teaching math<\/a>\u00a0and shifting towards more evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices. This means every student is provided with what they need as opposed to being provided with the exact same resources and assessment practices.<\/p>\n

For example, instead of giving all students in the classroom the exact same test, a student with test anxiety will be given an alternative format to showcase their learning.<\/p>\n

Math is not \u2018neutral\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Mathematics is not a \u201cneutral\u201d subject \u2014 biases in math exist that are grounded in colonial ideals.<\/p>\n

For example, what is traditionally considered\u00a0a standard measurement<\/a>\u00a0in a Canadian math curricula is only standard in western cultures.<\/p>\n

Traditional mathematics teaching<\/a>\u00a0focuses on the teacher\u2019s way of solving a problem as the right way. Students who might think about the problem in a different way are then at a disadvantage. In some cases, their cultural way of doing mathematics is then viewed as incorrect.<\/p>\n

Many strategies can be used<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One\u00a0study examined the multiplication strategies Filipino immigrant children living in Japan used<\/a>. In Japanese culture, children learn a formal multiplication method (kuku)\u00a0that involves learning to recite times tables<\/a>, whereas in the Philippines, it is common to use finger multiplication.<\/p>\n

The study found that immigrant Filipino families only taught their children finger multiplication if they found that their child was struggling with multiplication. The children would hide this method from their teachers.<\/p>\n

When only one strategy for math is taught as universally correct,\u00a0this marginalizes students<\/a>\u00a0and compounds inequities.<\/p>\n

Draw on existing knowledge<\/strong><\/h4>\n

What are some signs\u00a0teachers are practising equitable teaching in math<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Teachers draw on\u00a0students\u2019 existing knowledge<\/a>. In order to serve each student and their unique learning styles, teachers ideally get to know their students and how they learn best.<\/p>\n

This means teachers view their students as having knowledge that can be shared within the learning community. This is in contrast to traditional teaching practices that work on the assumption that students are\u00a0empty vessels to be filled with knowledge<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Peer collaboration<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When you were in school, what did participating in classroom activities look like? Did you raise your hand? Did you turn to your elbow partner? Were you sitting in rows and expected to be quiet until you were called upon?<\/p>\n

Equitable classrooms promote student voice and agency, peer collaboration and values learning from each other.<\/p>\n

This creates an equitable learning environment because it provides all students with the platform to have their voices heard and validates students\u2019 cultural ways of knowing math that may have otherwise been hidden.<\/p>\n

An added bonus is that if all\u00a0students have multiple ways to solve a problem,<\/a>\u00a0they have more strategies to rely on.<\/p>\n

What an equitable math classroom looks like<\/strong><\/h4>\n