Inclusive high school math?

[marshwiggle]

Ontario's new Grade 9 curriculum preaches 'subjective' nature of mathematics

From the article:

Math, it continues, has been "used to normalize racism and marginalization of non-Eurocentric mathematical knowledges," and explains that taking a "decolonial" and "anti-racist approach" to teaching math will outline its "historical roots and social constructions" to students.

"non-Eurocentric mathematical knowledges"; you mean like zero (from India) and al' gebra (from the middle east)? Yeah, those have been seriously marginalized; they'll never catch on.

"knowledges" is the left equivalent of "alternative facts" on the right.

[mahagonny]

Well that's a bummer. I was thinking if things get crazy enough around here I could move to Canada.

[Parasaurolophus]

It's not clear what's meant, so I won't say anything about the substance here. It sounds silly when presented like that, but perhaps they've articulated a clearer vision of what they're after elsewhere?

Perhaps, for instance, the idea is to start showing failures of applied mathematics, many of which have racist outcomes. If so, then that's a fine thing to be doing in HS math, and probably of a lot more interest to students than most of their textbook's word problems. You can do a pretty decent bit of critical thinking education with HS stats.

"non-Eurocentric mathematical knowledges"; you mean like zero (from India) and al' gebra (from the middle east)? Yeah, those have been seriously marginalized; they'll never catch on.

How often do students learn about the geographic origins of these ideas in HS, though? (I mean, you sort of get Pythagoras for free because his name's in the theorem, but for the most part... and even then, you probably don't learn any of the cool things about Pythagoras like his fear of beans.) Perhaps the idea is simply to make it explicit that mathematical concepts weren't all discovered in some white man's vacuum cleaner.

"knowledges" is the left equivalent of "alternative facts" on the right.

Except, of course, that Ontario's government is Conservative. This is coming entirely from the Conservatives.

Well that's a bummer. I was thinking if things get crazy enough around here I could move to Canada.

I'm pretty sure you'd classify the entire country as 'hard left', though. Maybe not some chunks of Alberta, but even then, I'm not sure. But in any event, I doubt you could. You're a bit aged for the points to work in your favour, unless you snag a good (tenure-track) job somewhere willing to sponsor you.

[marshwiggle]

It's not clear what's meant, so I won't say anything about the substance here. It sounds silly when presented like that, but perhaps they've articulated a clearer vision of what they're after elsewhere?

Perhaps, for instance, the idea is to start showing failures of applied mathematics, many of which have racist outcomes. If so, then that's a fine thing to be doing in HS math, and probably of a lot more interest to students than most of their textbook's word problems. You can do a pretty decent bit of critical thinking education with HS stats.

If math were one of those subjects students breeze through, and so there's lots of extra time, there may be some value in that. However, most students need as much practice as they can get, and taking time away from that for political discussions isn't helpful.

The good students, who learn fast, will get through OK. The weak students, who need all the practice they can get, will come out with even worse skills than they get now. Ironically, many
of those weaker students will be from "marginalized" communities, which will put them further behind.

"non-Eurocentric mathematical knowledges"; you mean like zero (from India) and al' gebra (from the middle east)? Yeah, those have been seriously marginalized; they'll never catch on.

How often do students learn about the geographic origins of these ideas in HS, though? (I mean, you sort of get Pythagoras for free because his name's in the theorem, but for the most part... and even then, you probably don't learn any of the cool things about Pythagoras like his fear of beans.) Perhaps the idea is simply to make it explicit that mathematical concepts weren't all discovered in some white man's vacuum cleaner.

Most students don't care about any of that. If anything, the students who are typically most interested in the origins are the students most interested in the subject in the first place.

This is unlikely to do anything to improve the understanding (or engagement, for that matter), of weaker students.

"knowledges" is the left equivalent of "alternative facts" on the right.

Except, of course, that Ontario's government is Conservative. This is coming entirely from the Conservatives.

I know. It baffles me. (Although most of the bigwigs in the Ministry of Education are much more liberal. And they'll be the ones proposing these sorts of things internally.)

[dismalist]

OK, I googled around this subject. The changes are a bundle:

-no more streaming;
-more practical stuff in the course [than which previous one?]; and
-the moronic stuff Marsh quoted.

https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/secondary-mathematics/courses/mth1w/course-intro#vision-and-goals-of-the-grade-9-mathematics-course

What's going on is clear. A bunch of verbiage to mask a dumbing down for everybody. This will promote equality of outcomes.

I suppose this is all a reaction to  nonsense such as this https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/04/racist-math-education/524199/. Apparently mathematical ability is the product of a self-fulfilling prophecy, not a set of facts to work with. Reality is socially constructed, after all.

This does not do non-Europeans any favors. It attempts to bring down the top instead of lifting the bottom.

[marshwiggle]

This does not do non-Europeans any favors. It attempts to bring down the top instead of lifting the bottom.

"Attempts" is the operative word. As I said, the smart kids will get it, and parents with resources will get their kids tutoring, etc. (where they will actually learn math, "eurocentric" or otherwise), and so they will still do fine. The parents without resources will be stuck with whatever reduced amount of actual learning their kids get.

(Look at the kids in a tutoring program like Kumon; lots of South- and East -Asian kids, who aren't necessarily behind academically, but whose parents put them there so they can excel. Dumbing down the curriculum for the masses just widens that gap.)

[dismalist]

This does not do non-Europeans any favors. It attempts to bring down the top instead of lifting the bottom.

"Attempts" is the operative word. As I said, the smart kids will get it, and parents with resources will get their kids tutoring, etc. (where they will actually learn math, "eurocentric" or otherwise), and so they will still do fine. The parents without resources will be stuck with whatever reduced amount of actual learning their kids get.

(Look at the kids in a tutoring program like Kumon; lots of South- and East -Asian kids, who aren't necessarily behind academically, but whose parents put them there so they can excel. Dumbing down the curriculum for the masses just widens that gap.)

Very true. And look at the extra cost!

This stuff may have a silver lining in that a revolution against state provided education may break out because getting around state education is more than ever necessary but too expensive for the middle class [where the votes are].

[secundem_artem]

I took grade 9 math in Ontario, so I can see why they are doing this.  I well remember questions like:

Billy wants to make $5 selling apples.  He sells apples to his white customers for 20¢ each and he sells apples to his BIPOC customers for 40¢ apiece.  If Billy sells 13 apples to his white customers, how many apples must he sell to his BIPOC customers to reach his $5 goal?

Yup  Math be racist as hell.

[mamselle]

Wow. That's blatant.

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Wow. That's blatant.

M.

I agree. Damn!

[dismalist]

I took grade 9 math in Ontario, so I can see why they are doing this.  I well remember questions like:

Billy wants to make $5 selling apples.  He sells apples to his white customers for 20¢ each and he sells apples to his BIPOC customers for 40¢ apiece.  If Billy sells 13 apples to his white customers, how many apples must he sell to his BIPOC customers to reach his $5 goal?

Yup  Math be racist as hell.

Seems like not all posters understand that this is meant ironically.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I took grade 9 math in Ontario, so I can see why they are doing this.  I well remember questions like:

Billy wants to make $5 selling apples.  He sells apples to his white customers for 20¢ each and he sells apples to his BIPOC customers for 40¢ apiece.  If Billy sells 13 apples to his white customers, how many apples must he sell to his BIPOC customers to reach his $5 goal?

Yup  Math be racist as hell.

Seems like not all posters understand that this is meant ironically.

Who knows?

[dismalist]

I took grade 9 math in Ontario, so I can see why they are doing this.  I well remember questions like:

Billy wants to make $5 selling apples.  He sells apples to his white customers for 20¢ each and he sells apples to his BIPOC customers for 40¢ apiece.  If Billy sells 13 apples to his white customers, how many apples must he sell to his BIPOC customers to reach his $5 goal?

Yup  Math be racist as hell.

Seems like not all posters understand that this is meant ironically.

Who knows?

There are at least two of us who know. :-)

[mahagonny]

Three.

[marshwiggle]

I took grade 9 math in Ontario, so I can see why they are doing this.  I well remember questions like:

Billy wants to make $5 selling apples.  He sells apples to his white customers for 20¢ each and he sells apples to his BIPOC customers for 40¢ apiece.  If Billy sells 13 apples to his white customers, how many apples must he sell to his BIPOC customers to reach his $5 goal?

Yup  Math be racist as hell.

Seems like not all posters understand that this is meant ironically.

Who knows?

Well, since the term "BIPOC" only appeared in the last couple of years, secundum_artem is either about 17 years old, or has been taking remedial grade 9 math if the  post was not made in jest.