Math Forum Discussions

Newton Leibniz

Posts: 10
Registered: 12/8/04

Reviews of recent textbooks
Posted: Feb 1, 1999 10:26 PM

Plain Text

To Gary Boyle-Holmes,

Help is on the way. Please check out this web site:

http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/

It offers reviews of recent textbooks for grades 2, 5, and 7 (maybe
not the grade(s) you teach, but the reviews might lead you in the
right direction). Good luck!

To the interested reader,

This site also contains the famed "Mathematics Framework for
California Public Schools K-12." This document contains the California
mathematics standards (in Chapter 3 of the framework). I encourage
everyone to read it and compare it to the NCTM-2000 standards. Ask
yourself these questions. What is a standard? Which of the following
definitions goes with NCTM-2000 and which goes with the California
standards?

1. Standard (Webster's): Something setup and established by authority
as a rule for the *measure* of quantity, quality, weight, extent, or
value.

2. Standard (Webster's): Sound and usable but not of top quality, such
as standard beef.

On 28 Nov 98, Gary Boyle-Holmes wrote re. Helpppp!!!:

> I read the posting in the discussions and I find seeds of truth on
> both sides. Yes, kids need to have a least some drill in order to
> learn basic facts. Yes, kids need to have experience in dealing with
> engaging problems that have multiple solution methods. Yes, I
believe
> that the current stream of the "math reform" movement is hobbling
the
> top 5 or 10 percent of our students. My question is how am I, a
> practicing math teacher, supposed to put this all together. We've
> searched for curriculum materials from every publisher we could
think
> of (including all of the NSF-funded programs) and found nothing that
> we could whole-heartedly support. I've tried writing my own
materials,
> but I can't do an adequate job of that and teach as well. I wish
some
> of you geniuses out there would quit bickering and start hammering
out
> a comprehensive solution!
>