From the Archives–2003

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by Mark Nechanicky, Region 1 MCTM director

As Minnesota transitions to the new 2022 standards (standards are ‘named’ by the year that the review cycle starts rather than the first year of implementation), Tom Muchlinkski’s thoughts have relevance.

Tom Muchlinksi’s State Math Specialist report

What will the new standards mean for mathematics education in Minnesota? As with the former standards, very little if they are viewed as statements that identify mathematics content solely for the purpose of satisfying a bureaucratic mandate and are viewed as something separate from the curriculum. However, if they are thoughtfully embedded into instruction, schools will meet the legislative mandate as well as help all students learn mathematics. Standards, regardless of how they are stated, are not the curriculum, nor should they be. Carol Tomlinson speaks of the standards as being one of the ingredients of an effective curriculum. They identify some of the content we want all students to learn, but they must be combined with robust activities, effective instructional strategies, and appropriate assessment to help all students develop mathematical power. This speaks to the art of teaching, and when teachers are thoughtful about their work, in terms of what they teach, how they teach, and when they teach concepts, students will learn, understand, and apply mathematics effectively.

This past weekend my wife and I babysat our four-month old grandson, Isaiah. Well okay, my wife fed him, changed him and put him to bed. I talked mathematics with him. He struggled somewhat with the concept of the derivative but his understanding of conditional probability is solid. But as I thought of what my hope for him is in terms of mathematics, it is not that he be taught to pass a test in every grade 3 through 8 and once in high school. It is that every year, K-16 (and of course graduate school) he has a teacher who believes all students can learn, who has a deep understanding of mathematics, who has a solid knowledge of how students learn, and who has the ability to help students connect new learning to previous learning. It is this teacher who can work with the standards in a way that will help all students develop a deep understanding of mathematics as well as satisfy the legislative mandate.