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pseudoreality · 10-24-2014, 04:13 PM

I noticed in the STEM thread you mentioned you are trained as a math teacher. Would you be able to provide a summary on the new math I hear so much about? There has been some high profile complaints about it and how our students are underperforming in math skills because of it.

Last weekend I attended strategic development workshop for the NWT & Nunavut Association of Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG). At the retreat we discussed community outreach and our education foundation which distributes a couple of scholarships. The current President of NAPEG works part time and does volunteering/substitute teaching at the schools. He mentioned he was shocked on how the kids just can't do math. In his opinion students are taught very abstract theories and not basic skills. This really concerns me for the future of our country. I know the federal government is doing everything they can to import technically trained people, but it probably would not hurt to train one to of our own to do those jobs.

My belief is kids first need to learn the fundamental skills. Once those skills are second nature, then the kids might be able to appreciate some of the abstract beauty of math.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for being a math teacher. I believe one of the challenges for schools in teaching STEM is finding good educators skilled in those areas. People who are skilled in the math and sciences can often have other much more lucrative career opportunities. Therefore, whenever I see a good math teacher I know they are in it for the right reasons.

10-24-2014, 04:13 PM	#1
pseudoreality Powerplay Quarterback Join Date: Jul 2012 Exp:	new math I noticed in the STEM thread you mentioned you are trained as a math teacher. Would you be able to provide a summary on the new math I hear so much about? There has been some high profile complaints about it and how our students are underperforming in math skills because of it. Last weekend I attended strategic development workshop for the NWT & Nunavut Association of Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG). At the retreat we discussed community outreach and our education foundation which distributes a couple of scholarships. The current President of NAPEG works part time and does volunteering/substitute teaching at the schools. He mentioned he was shocked on how the kids just can't do math. In his opinion students are taught very abstract theories and not basic skills. This really concerns me for the future of our country. I know the federal government is doing everything they can to import technically trained people, but it probably would not hurt to train one to of our own to do those jobs. My belief is kids first need to learn the fundamental skills. Once those skills are second nature, then the kids might be able to appreciate some of the abstract beauty of math. Lastly, I would like to thank you for being a math teacher. I believe one of the challenges for schools in teaching STEM is finding good educators skilled in those areas. People who are skilled in the math and sciences can often have other much more lucrative career opportunities. Therefore, whenever I see a good math teacher I know they are in it for the right reasons.