From: Gail (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Jun 06, 2000 at 23:01:39
Subject: Re: Elementary math

I believe the term "fuzzy math" is a derogatory way of referring to the
methods used by many mathematics educators today.  These methods embrace the
NCTM Standards, and reflect a child-centered philosophy in which
students are empowered to construct their individual understanding of
mathematics under the guidance of their teacher.  Some people refer to this
as "fuzzy math" because we (these math educators) believe it is crucial for
children to recognize there are many different ways to approach and solve
problems.  We also believe that children need to have a firm understanding of
number sense.  To assist children in building this understanding we recommend
many experiences with concrete materials prior to, and during work with more
abstract concepts, such as the algorithms involved in the learning of
computation.   Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have about
this topic.  We should be glad to share more information with you.

 -Gail, for the Teacher2Teacher service

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