Jo Boaler is the Marie Curie Professor of maths at
University of Sussex. She previously taught at Kings College London and
Stanford University. She is author of ‘The Elephant in the Classroom: Helping
Children Learn and Love Maths’.
See small u tube presentation by Jo Boaler ( Ideal staff meeting?)
See small u tube presentation by Jo Boaler ( Ideal staff meeting?)
An excellent and practical read - a resource being used by a NZ school run by an ex maths adviser. ( A school also using Aust. Charles Lovett' s ideas)
See this link to another blog about Jo Boaler
Another blog about why kids hate maths ( Anne Murphy).
See this link to another blog about Jo Boaler
Another blog about why kids hate maths ( Anne Murphy).
Together literacy and numeracy takes up the greatest
proportion of the school day , a situation cemented by the imposition of National Standards. One UK commentator has said that ‘literacy
and
numeracy are the evil twins that have gobbled up the entire curriculum’. Sir
Ken Robinson writes that schools only ‘mine’children’s heads for literacy and
numeracy ignoring other important learning areas – he believes creativity is as
important as literacy and numeracy. Guy Claxton echoes Sir Ken’s thoughts
saying that ‘learnacy’ is as important as literacy and numeracy.
Sir Ken |
For all this emphasis too many students leave school unable
to do basic numeracy and see themselves as maths cripples.
I have always believed two things have caused thissituation: an emphasis on ‘school’ rather than ‘real’ maths and the use ofability grouping. When I taught I refused to use ability grouping and did my
best to introduce real or interesting maths topics to my class– integrating
maths, where possible, with the current inquiry study. To cover myself we also
did basic computation daily but I taught the students that this was to be seen
as ‘practice’ not ‘real’ maths. The majority of the learning in my room was
centred around the inquiry based study topics we chose. Literacy and numeracy
were seen as ‘foundation skills’ necessary for students to complete quality
learning in selected study areas - as well as for their own intrinsic value
I wish I had access at the time to Jo Boaler’s book (and
also the research of Australian maths educationalist Charles Lovett ) but I gained support from computer
educationalist Seymour
Papert who had written that ‘all science and maths ought to be applied not pure'. Dr Z P Dienes
(of Dienes blocks) had also written that it is
time to 'shift from teaching to learning, from our experience to the
children's, in fact, from our world to theirs'.
I had also come to the conclusion that the secret was to do fewer maths
topics well – a lesson we now are now learning from Japanese maths teaching.
Great book |
Jo Boaler writes, ‘far too many students hate maths. As a
result adults all over the world fear maths and avoid it at all costs…. It’s
the subject that can make them feel both helpless and stupid….Maths more than
any subject has the power to crush children’s confidence.’
It’s time to remedy this situation and her book provides the
knowledge and the details of the real maths children should be learning.
The
‘elephant in the room’ is the belief held by teachers that some people can do
maths and some can’t and so, to help ‘slow’ learners, children are grouped byability. As a result the maths that is taught, she writes, has little in common
with real maths. When ‘real’ maths is taught in context many more children are
successful.
Testing!!!!! |
The purpose of Boaler’s book is to make students and
teachers excited about maths and to ensure more students are competent,
equipped for a future that will require maths ability.
A key question to ask is what is maths? Real mathematicians
see it as a study of patterns and relationships –a way of thinking and making
meaning.
Maths in nature |
‘Bringing maths back to life for school children involves
giving them a sense of living mathematics….posing and extending problems of
interest to students means they enjoy mathematics more, they feel ownership of
their work and they ultimately learn more’.
There seems like the need to make school maths a perpetual
‘maths fair’. ‘If students were to work in the ways mathematicians do, for at
least some of the time- posing problems, making guesses and conjectures,
exploring with and refining ideas, and discussing ideas with others they would
be given a sense of true mathematical work….to enjoy mathematics…and learn in
the most productive ways.’
Let's not label kids! |
Schools are now deciding who can and can’t do maths when they are only
four years old and research show that most children stay in the low groups
until they leave school. This grouping ignores all that is known about the
variety in the individual development of children. Since target setting has
taken over in schools children in the UK have dropped from eight to twenty
fourth in international tests of mathematical problem solving. A lesson for New
Zealand! Boaler believes it is important to replace this target driven
approach, which labels and prejudges children producing ‘can’t do’ maths
students, with real maths experiences.
What is required, she writes, ‘is to provide stimulatingenvironments for all children; environments in which children’s interests canbe peaked and nurtured, with teachers who are ready to recognize, cultivate and
develop the potential that children show at different times and different
areas.’
This is difficult if children are placed in low groups – such students
come to believe in their lack of ability. In NZ - once a weka always a weka!
Slow learners? I think not! |
It appears to me that in New Zealand schools the use of
ability grouping is unquestioned and that many schools and, following the UK ‘lead,
are’ moving into greater setting and streaming for maths. Boaler points out
that the International Mathematics and
Science Study shows countries ‘who
leave grouping to the latest possible moment or who use the least amount of
grouping by ability are those with the highest achievement.’ Japanese educators
are ‘bemused by the Western goal of sorting students into high and low
abilities’. In Japan what is important is balance. ’Everyone can do
everything…..so we can’t divide by ability…Japanese education emphasizes group
education, not individual education…we want students to help each other, to
learn from each other…to get along and grow together.’ Add to this teachers who
plan maths collaboratively and do fewer topics well and you have recipe for
success.
‘Research’, Boaler
writes,’ tells us that approaches that keep students as equal as possible and
that do not group by ability not only helps those who would be placed in low
sets, which seems obviously, but those who would be placed in high sets too.’
Inspiration for maths |
If students are not given
challenging and high level work then they do not achieve at high levels.’
‘Students who struggle in mathematics are helped by engaging in discussions
about maths with students who are working at higher levels.’ ‘In Japan students
are not all expected to learn the same thing, which the unrealistic
expectations in many countries; instead they are given challenging problems and
each student get the most that they can.’ This reflects my own teaching
approach.
Boaler writes ‘the impact that ability grouping has upon
students’ lives – in and beyond school – is profound. Researchers in England
found that 88% of children placed in ability groups at age four remain in the
same groupings until they leave school. This is the most chilling statistics I
have ever read.’ For schools to make these sort of grouping decisions, she
writes, ‘is nothing short of criminal.’
Only by offering opportunities for rich challenges, by
flexible system of grouping that does not pre-judge a child’s achievement, and
by using multi-level mathematical that each student takes to the highest level
will we ‘encourage smart and competent maths learners in our classrooms.’
One school studies Alice in Numberland!! |
Maybe it is time for New Zealand schools to re-think their
use of ability grouping in mathematics- and reading?
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