Dive Brief:
- Stanford University education professor Jo Boaler writes that Common Core will bring needed changes to the way math is taught in U.S. schools.
- She says that math problems that require making connections and creativity are more engaging for students.
- One of the most damaging things, she Boaler argues, is that only some people are "math people" — an idea that combines with low expectations to hold the U.S. back in math performance.
Dive Insight:
Boaler says the Common Core standards also address another important shortcoming in American math education: the idea that those who are good at math are those who are fast. It's hard to see the value of, say, racing to complete multiplication tables — particularly with other concepts suffering as a result. Would we reward students for racing through an English essay?
