Wednesday, June 20, 2007
A Statement of Personal Philosophy re Math Wars, etc...
Although I have long espoused national math standards (as is well-documented on this blog), I have steadfastly refused to engage in the vitriolic rhetoric of the Math Wars. Despite the fact that I live 7 minutes from Ridgewood, NJ, a community that has recently found itself in the eye of the Math War storm, despite the fact that I was directly involved in developing the Mathematics Content Standards for New Jersey (working with Joe Rosenstein), despite a myriad of reasons for me to comment on this latest conflagration, I choose not to. This blog is all about MATHEMATICS CONTENT and PEDAGOGY. Mathematics is essentially pure and I will not taint it with political issues. If you want to read controversial statements about what we should teach and how to teach it, there are dozens of blogs and forums you can visit. You will not find it here. If you want meaningful discussions of real mathematics that transcend the moment in which we live, keep coming back. I hope to not disappoint you. I might not get the volume of readers by this decision, but my conscience will be clear...
Stay tuned for an in-depth treatment of recursive functions for grades 7-14. I hope you will enjoy Part I.
Posted by Dave Marain at 12:10 PM 4 comments
Labels: math wars, NJ Math standards, personal philosophy, purpose of blog