Comments on: Hands Off the Hands-On in School Math?? http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/hands-off-the-hands-on-in-school-math/ Thinking Parents Refuse to Lose Those Head Games Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:12:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Nance Confer http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/hands-off-the-hands-on-in-school-math/#comment-23063 Nance Confer Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:15:28 +0000 http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/?p=966#comment-23063 I remember reading similar findings about the phonics versus whole language wars. Still ongoing, as far as I know. Since neither method, or even blend of methods, reaches all children -- duh! -- the other can cyclically proclaim that it is the better approach as the other has "failed." DD reads "word problems" the same way my Mom used to -- as stories -- and then understandably wanders away from the task of solving the problem. She makes it through but it's not a natural fit the way it is for DS's brain. Imagine if I tried to force either one to work one way and never the other -- or at all. :) Nance I remember reading similar findings about the phonics versus whole language wars. Still ongoing, as far as I know.

Since neither method, or even blend of methods, reaches all children — duh! — the other can cyclically proclaim that it is the better approach as the other has “failed.”

DD reads “word problems” the same way my Mom used to — as stories — and then understandably wanders away from the task of solving the problem. She makes it through but it’s not a natural fit the way it is for DS’s brain.

Imagine if I tried to force either one to work one way and never the other — or at all. :)

Nance

]]> By: JJ http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/hands-off-the-hands-on-in-school-math/#comment-23055 JJ Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:00:53 +0000 http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/?p=966#comment-23055 Is the belief (conviction) in symbolic math as Education's holy grail, more science or more religion? No matter what, surely it's Unholy? Could this frozen and massively destructive state of mind (Symbolic Math is the Constant in Education Equations!) be the discernible tip of the iceberg that the Human Eye (however it got here in our human heads) might help us perceive, process and understand, so that we could give its hidden dangers sufficiently wide berth, before it's too late? <a href="http://cockingasnook.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/religion-and-science-revelation-disability-and-logical-expression/" rel="nofollow">Religion and Science: Revelation, Disability and Logical Expression"</a> Is the belief (conviction) in symbolic math as Education’s holy grail, more science or more religion? No matter what, surely it’s Unholy?

Could this frozen and massively destructive state of mind (Symbolic Math is the Constant in Education Equations!) be the discernible tip of the iceberg that the Human Eye (however it got here in our human heads) might help us perceive, process and understand, so that we could give its hidden dangers sufficiently wide berth, before it’s too late?

Religion and Science: Revelation, Disability and Logical Expression”

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