Can some explain equity based math for me?

[ripcord]

California has passed a bill to switch to equity based math but even after reading a couple of articles I still don't know what it is, thanks in advance.

[ExciteBike66]

1. From what I have seen,

It is about not teaching math as a one size fits all subject. Every class has kids at different levels of understanding, and the teacher tries to include all of them in the learning so that no one just gives up and believes they are "bad" at math.

[Effete Snob]

2. Math fads

When I started in a public elementary school in Bedrock, Montessori methods were all the rage.

Then, we got rid of the sticks and tactile nonsense and it was all about "set theory".

After that it was "new math" and teaching concepts over computation.

I don't know how many other iterations there have been of the "latest and greatest way of teaching math".

Math teaching theories come. Math teaching theories go. Kids will learn math. Life will go on.

I still think that people who study mathematics, education, child development and mathematics education, are probably the best positioned to decide how we are teaching math this year.

Can we PLEASE stop making education a punching bag for people who clearly have too much time to worry about other peoples' jobs?

[malthaussen]

5. Charlie Schulz did a comic on it...

... back when "New Math" was taking over. Sally was just learning arithmetic, and had to deal with all the "sets, matching," etc stuff. She gets more and more frustrated, and in the gag panel cries "All I wanna know is how much is two and two?"

-- Mal

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. I remember Sally doing her times tables;

"One times one is onedy one.

Two times two is twoty two.

Three times three is three threety three."

[malthaussen]

8. Yeah, she had a lot of trouble with math...

In another one, Charlie is coaching her on multiplication, asks something like "how much is seven times six," and she goes off the edge, with "twiddly-two? Quddelly-poo?" and other such... Charlie stops her with "Now you're just guessing."

-- Mal

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. It's more about the pedagogy than the math.

Basically, it's meant to prioritize making math more relevant to everyday situations.

[malthaussen]

4. What, you mean "If Joe buys 12 dozen oranges at 20 cents apiece..."

... is not relevant to everyday situations?

-- Mal

[MiHale]

10. Well how are you supposed to figure out...

The subset of oranges that are slightly green compared to the maybe equal or not subset of that subset that are not worth 20 cents.
You’ll never know if you are ripped off or not.

[Lancero]

15. Given that oranges cost .39 cents each now?

We kind of need to account for inflation, if we want these math questions to be relevant in everyday situiations.

[Zeitghost]

6. Among various other things

It means not segregating kids by ability in different math classes. All kids through 10th grade will learn the same material, regardless of ability.

I'm not sure a one sized fits all curriculum in math is the best idea. It's going to leave kids with more advanced skills bored and behind their natural rate of progress while those who need additional assistance struggling to keep up.

[ripcord]

9. I read an article just now by a Stanford math professor

He said they were removing access to Algebra 1 from eigth graders. How are they supposed to prepare for a STEM education and career when they can't take the classes they need? It is hard enough for them to finish all the math classes they need now.

[malthaussen]

13. I imagine these things come in cycles.

When I was in high school 50 years ago, the district had just decided to remove all "honors" distinction from the class sections, even though they actually kept the classes for the advanced College Prep courses a bit harder than the others. (formerly, an "A" in one of these classes was worth more to GPA than an "A" in a lesser section) It was all about homogenization and not having anyone feel left out, inferior, or superior, either.

Seems as though they threw that concept away after a bit in the pursuit of excellence and AP courses. Now, perhaps, the wheel is coming full circle. But primary and secondary education are still cut-throat competitive in pursuit of ratings that will make them seem like "good" schools, as though education were a matter of a score on a test, and not the mastering of the material.

-- Mal

[Zeitghost]

14. I have the same concerns

And so do many in the STEM fields.

Allowing kids who can to get ahead is not seen as equitable.

[demigoddess]

11. when my son was in a gifted class in grade school, the teacher told me that

they were holding the kids back in math because they didn't want 7th grade math books in a grade school. Maybe something like that.

[malthaussen]

12. Just as in the Humanities, there is a concern about pupils reading material...

... that is "appropriate" to their ages. What a concept. Why, when I was a tad, I read anything I could get my hands on, and look at me now!

-- Mal