Leading in CONTEXT ...Leading in CONTEXT ...

Looking at politics and progress in the world of mathematics education

Cathy SeeleyCharles A. Dana Center

University of TexasJanuary 20, 2010 (2nd Cohort; Session 2)

Today’s WorldToday’s World

• Shrinking, connecting, flattening*

• Panic/Participation

• Every person can have a chance,probably for a future we can’t see.

Profile of Successful Profile of Successful WorkersWorkers

•Top academic performance

•Creative and innovative

•Able to learn very quickly

skillscommission.org/executive.htm

How to Build a 21How to Build a 21stst Century Century StudentStudent• “This is a story about the big public

conversation the nation is not having about

education, the one that will ultimately

determine not merely whether some fraction of

our children get "left behind" but also whether

an entire generation of kids will fail to make

the grade in the global economy because they

can't think their way through abstract

problems, work in teams, distinguish

good information from bad or speak a

language other than English.”TIME, Dec. 18, 2006

““The U.S. has 3 million jobs going The U.S. has 3 million jobs going begging.”begging.”

• “People thrown out of shrinking sectors

such as construction, finance, and retail

lack the skills and training for openings

in growing fields including education,

accounting, health care, and

government.”Business Week, May 11, 2009

Two goalsTwo goals

•More workers in math- and science-based fields (STEM)

•Every student quantitatively and scientifically literate and able to reason, think, and solve problems to much more sophisticated levels than in the past

Copyright Cathy Seeley 2009

Partnership for 21st Century Partnership for 21st Century SkillsSkills

www.21stcenturyskills.org

•Core subjects•21st-century themes-Global Awareness; Civic Literacy; Health Literacy; Financial, Economic, Business, Entrepreneurial Literacy

• Learning and innovation skills

- Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration

• Information, Media and Technology Skills- Information Literacy, Media Literacy, ICT Literacy

• Life and Career Skills- Flexibility,Adaptability, Initiative, Self-Direction, Social/Cross-

Cultural Skills, Productivity, Accountability, Leadership and Responsibility

Partnership for 21st Century Skills www.21stcenturyskills.org

12/08

21st Century Skills?21st Century Skills?

• Jay Mathews: •

“How are millions of students still struggling to acquire 19th-century skills in reading, writing and math supposed to learn this stuff?”

Washington Post, January 5, 2009

21st Century Skills?21st Century Skills?•“At its heart, say [E.D.] Hirsch and others,

the conflict is about what should happen in a school day:

• Do kids learn to think by reading great literature, doing difficult math and learning history, philosophy and science?

• Or can they tackle those subjects on their own if schools simply teach them to problem-solve, communicate, use technology and think creatively?”

USA Today, March 5, 2009

What would your response be to Jay Matthews and/or

E.D. Hirsch?

Responses to Jay Responses to Jay Mathews...Mathews...

• Maybe we need to get rid of some of our 19th-century expectations in mathematics, especially for those students.

• Maybe we need to teach mathematics differently, whichever century’s skills we want students to learn.

• Maybe the 21st-century provides us with tools (technological and teaching) to allow ALL students to learn ALL the mathematics they need to.

Responses to E.D. Responses to E.D. Hirsch...Hirsch...

• Why are these the only two options?

• Maybe kids can learn to think not BY reading great literature or doing hard math, but WITH and THROUGH and WHILE doing challenging, yet engaging and relevant literature or math.

• ... with the guidance of a good teacher.

Cathy Seeley 2009

What’s going on and who’s What’s going on and who’s doing it?doing it?• National Standards? (Common Core

Standards)

• Current voices:

• U.S. Department of Education

• NCTM

• Achieve, Inc.

• Council of Chief State School Officers andNational Governor’s Association

• ACT

• The College Board

• Others?

WhatWhat mathmath do all students need?do all students need?

• The Big Three:

• Understanding math (making sense of it)

• Doing math (skills, facts, procedures)

• Using math (thinking, reasoning, applying, solving a range of problems)

• The New Basic: deep transferable skills for versatilizing

• The right math for options and a secure economic future

What are some reasons What are some reasons why some students why some students might not achieve the might not achieve the level of mathematics we level of mathematics we want them to?want them to?

(not discussed at session)

What tools do students What tools do students need?need?

• Computational tools (mental, paper, technology)

• Representational tools (paper, technology, other...)

• Collaboration tools (teamwork, communication*)*oral/written; personal/technology; with and about mathematics; working/presenting

• Lifelong learning tools (using information, perseverance, learning to learn for life)

• Citizenship/Ethics tools (morality, integrity, equity, responsibility, compassion, accepting diversity)

What tools do teachers What tools do teachers need?need?

• Mathematical content knowledge and understanding

• A strong, diverse set of teaching strategies and approaches:

• effectively working with groups

• focusing/connecting student learning

• creating teacher-structured, not teacher-centered learning

• Commitment to and belief in all students learning high-quality mathematics

What are some reasons What are some reasons why some teachers why some teachers might not achieve the might not achieve the level of teaching we level of teaching we want them to?want them to?

(not discussed at session)

What tools do leaders need?What tools do leaders need?• The ability to articulate and support a vision

• The courage to take risks and take a stand

• The insight to practice what we preach

• The willingness and commitment to keep on learning

• The wisdom to rely on your networks

• The habit of giving away credit

• The perseverance to keep on going

What tools do you want to What tools do you want to develop?develop?

• The ability to articulate and support a vision

• The courage to take risks and take a stand

• The insight to practice what we preach

• The willingness and commitment to keep on learning

• The wisdom to rely on your networks

• The habit of giving away credit

• The perseverance to keep on going

E-mail:cseeley@mail.utexas.edu

Faster Isn’t Smarter--Messages About Math, Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century

mathsolutions.com/fasterisntsmarterOr Amazon.com

Websites: http://cathyseeley.com

http://csinburkinafaso.com