This evening I attended a meeting at my kids’ elementary school where they (a 4th and 6th grader) are participating in the accelerated math program. It was a very cool meeting, designed to help parents understand the program and understand what they can do to help. As good as the general curriculum is in Fairfax County where my kids go, the accelerated math program is even better. Here’s what they told us:
* The most important thing you can tell your children about this course is to ask questions! Students don’t like to ask questions, especially in math. We want to change that culture.
* This course is about learning. We want the students to learn and we want students to enjoy what they’re doing. [Implication: This is not about grades. They didn’t say anything about grades. ]
* We’re trying to build a “Community of Learners.” [I’m not kidding–they used those words.]
* In this course the students teach each other. They enjoy it.
How are these kids going to react when they get to college and find it’s a step backwards in terms of the pedagogy? We have six or eight years to get it right for my kids.
