Dan Meyer - Math Class needs a make over

This is the gold you find when you keep typing in the same search words every six months on TED.com, in this case "math*". - click on the link or check out my Vlog (video + blog) over here ->

This is the TED video on math I've been looking for.

All I need to do now is just apply his algorithm (math lingo for "his procedure") to every distinct mathematical concept on the Leaving and Junior certificate course. Ok admitedly there's nothing "just" about that last goal, but at least I have it alot clearer in my head where I'm going with this. I had a sense that I was going to try and make maths as real life as possible, even quadratic equations somehow.

Essentally what Dan does is he divides the math problems on the curriculum into 2 categories one a group which is characterised by applying an abstract formula to a given equation (which is sometimes disguised) and the other group which is attempting and failing to recreate "real life" problems such as the example Dan gives.

I agree with Dan when he encourages us all to make "real life" maths actually real by being "less helpful".

In terms of the sacred trinity of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment.

Curriculum needs to focus more on real life situations, which should reflect math employed in the students everyday lives and in the day to day labour of the various work sectors.

Pedagogy - Dan sums it up well when he says - be less helpful.

Assessment - Questions should be open ended and short (like Dan suggests) with not one method of answering the question. Students should be given too much data and have to (1) discern what is essential and what is superfluous or (2) be given no data concrete data and asked to work out a formula.

Personally, I am in favour of a more discrete mathematics based curriculum ever since I heard this succinct arguement made on TED.com by Arthur Benjamin. My goal is to one day carry out a community profile with my maths class who design qeustionnaires which ask the qeustions they want answered and then go out into the community, collect the data and then learn about all the various ways it can be analysed and presented to people through stastics. So that they understand the meaning of "lies, damned lies and stastics" and can use this knowledge to question precentages quoted in the media and who knows one day employ stastics to further their own agendas in the future.