From the Archives–1963 and 1964
by Mark Nechanicky, Region 1 MCTM director
March 1963 excerpts from “The Role of Contemporary Math in Junior High Mathematics”
Many lay citizens and educators feel that the current moves in secondary school mathematics curriculum revision were largely motivated by the appearance of Sputnik…resulting from evidence that many top students had little depth of understanding of mathematics and an even greater number of students from all ability levels found math not very interesting…
Whereas most traditional texts frequently presented the “how” before or without presenting the “why,” contemporary materials, in general, use more precise language in trying to show the deductive nature of mathematics. It was stressed that mathematics was a structure or a study of patterns and their relationships rather than a collection of rules used to solve quantitative problems. The traditional seventh and eighth grade text materials were in reality merely a rehash of the arithmetic of the upper elementary grades. There was little stress upon basic principles and very little effort made to involve the student in the development of the major idea which was frequently presented abruptly at the outset. The remainder of the page was merely drill on exercises which brought out the main idea…….
It is trite to note that new materials are not enough! If a teacher employs “tell ’em” teaching techniques with contemporary materials, he will be no more successful than in using traditional materials. The challenge for seventh and eighth grade math teachers to make a unique contribution in developing a zest for mathematics in the student is great.
When using contemporary methods and materials, many veteran seventh and eighth grade teachers have witnessed increased amounts of enthusiasm and interest from even the students of modest ability.
December 1964 excerpts from “From your State Department”
I wonder how many teachers have ever watched another teacher in action in front of a class since graduation from college…Any teacher can learn much by visiting another classroom, especially in his subject area…
We hear of “discovery teaching” in connection with modern programs of mathematics…Yet, so many of the teachers I visit are using “tell-em” methods in the classroom. I have watched teachers who have read the mathematics text to their students! As if this wasn’t bad enough, some will read the questions in the text and answer them by themselves without giving the students a chance to think about possible answers!…
Another method that teachers use would really be amusing if it weren’t so educationally tragic…the teacher repeats or rephrases the question over and over again without pausing long enough to allow the thought process to begin to function. This usually ends with the teacher giving the answer himself because, “the pupils can’t think!”
Of course they can’t; not when someone is talking! So, keep quiet at times like this; allow thinking time. Whenever possible, let the pupils think and arrive at conclusions by themselves.