I was reading this online study this morning published on CBC news’ website in September. According to the study, “traditional math education methods are superior to the highly ineffective, discovery-based instructional techniques that are in vogue now in educational curricula”. The article goes on to say that in Saskatchewan we make a point of not following these traditional methods. Executive director of the Ministry of Education, Simone Gareau, said that “Within our curriculum, direct instruction has its place and so does discovery and problem solving”. Over the last few years, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education has been changing the math curriculum drastically, adding more problem solving methods to the text with a high emphasis on creative learning.
As a fine arts student, I do believe that creative learning is of great benefit to students, giving them a sort of freedom to do things themselves and structure and plan without the guidance or assistance of others. However, based on my experience with the new math textbooks through my pre-internship and talking to my younger siblings who are currently using the new math textbooks for grades 7 and 11, my understanding is that the system hasn’t exactly been fine-tuned yet. Looking at some of the units, they seem very unorganized and out of control. Questions on one page may not make sense if you haven’t read the instructions on a separate page, which can be confusing for a grade 5 or 6 student who is used to having all the instruction they need built up above the set of questions they are given.
From my point of view, I would have to say that the Ministry of Education is correct in saying that we cannot teach our students in simply one way. There are many different types of learners and they all deserve a chance to learn every subject in a way that makes sense to them. I must say, though, that the Ministry should take a second look at the new math curriculum and come up with a way to make it concise and understandable for Saskatchewan students. Simone Gareau said about multiplication that “students can learn to do that by rote, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they understand”. What their system needs to find a way to do is to help students “understand” their methods and easily transition over from the old math system that they were used to. There needs to be a healthy balance between the two. Otherwise all is, and all are, lost.
Sackville's Sight 