Over the Christmas holiday, the Twitler administration threw its weight against the U.S. Constitution in favor of Christian nationalist authoritarianism.
The Psychobabble regarding mathematics continues. We don’t argue about memorizing how to spell words. Why argue about memorizing basic math? It worked for centuries, but is now the subject of navel gazing.
It’s all part of larger “math wars” that have been raging for decades as some educators fight against old teaching methods they say promote rote memorization over actual understanding. The New York state guidelines say they aim for students to understand basic mathematical concepts and to think critically about how to apply them in other situations, rather than simply memorizing and regurgitating facts.
But the guidance has drawn harsh criticism from those who say explicit instruction and repeated practice are proven to be the best way to get kids to retain the information they need to thrive.
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