My dad was a math wiz and was at the ready when I needed support with homework, until “the year of new math”.  He was beside himself.  “New math? What was wrong with the old math?”  Looking back (a long way back) on that time, I believe that my dad wasn’t just questioning the retirement of his math system.  He was perhaps feeling a bit archaic and set aside himself.  Change is hard.  During this same time period there was a push to move the U.S. to the metric system. That was in the ‘50’s. So far we’ve managed to move it all the way to 2 liter bottles. Great progress!  It’s small wonder that we find it difficult to let research inform how we structure our classrooms or how we maintain discipline.  What research tells us about the way children learn contradicts many of the current practices we have in place for teaching.  When children are at the developmental stage of seeking social interactions, we want independent work.  Although we become increasingly more aware that our world needs more “out-of-the-box” thinkers and problem solvers, schools are expected to teach to a prescribed test.

Like my dad with new math, institutions don’t typically gravitate toward change.  If there is to be informed change then it will require individuals to become informed.  What do you know about how children learn and how might it help our schools better serve children’s needs? Read up. Find out. Share what you learn.  Share what you already know from your own observations.  In fact, you can share right here.  To help you begin your exploration, try www.edutopia.org and search “Big Thinkers”. Enjoy!