I just watched the extended trailer for Incredibles 2 and laughed… HARD at a veiled Common Core math reference. They didn’t explicitly say Common Core, but it’s clear that is what they were talking about.
https://youtu.be/8tW8evr3Q4A
Mr. Incredible finds himself in the role of a stay-at-home dad while his wife, Elastigirl, is off doing her superhero thing. He is helping his oldest son, Dash, with his homework. Dash holds up a textbook that says “New Math for Life.”
Dash says, “That’s not the way you are supposed to do it, Dad. They want us to do it this way.”
Mr. Incredible replied, “I don’t know that way, why would they change math? Math is math.”
Dash replies, “Because, it’s ok Dad.”
Mr. Incredible continues to rant, “MATH IS MATH!”
This isn’t much different than what many parents have experienced at the kitchen table trying to help their kids with “the new way” of doing math.
I thought it was hilarious when I saw it. “Math is Math!” is what I’ve been screaming to my kids for a few years now…..every time they bring home some stupid math sheet and I have to go scouring the internet for the “correct” way to do it, instead of the most logical way. Maybe a kid’s movie will get parents a little more stirred up?
Thank God! I thought I was the only parent having to search the web for how to do this “new” math!!!
Funny you say “logical” . Because it’s they way you were taught does not make it the best way. I have had the same struggles, and have taken the same approach by scouring the internet (mostly irritated) to find the answers. But I have chosen to embrace it as opposed to fighting it, and have learned that my way may not have been the best way. I can now see my daughters doing math in their head and on paper that I would not have successfully been able to do at their age It has a lot to do with methods and trusting the process. I am lucky, I have spent an extensive amount of time with teachers at our school who explained the process and reasoning, and I feel I have been skeptical, but open minded. I know I am in the minority, but I feel like the change is positive. We will have to wait a generation to see though, I suppose.
Oh do explain to me how the trellis method of multiplication is far superior than how it has been done for ages (or the bucket method for division). Addition problems where children have to draw numerous shapes in order to add. Please explain how subtraction by addition is good to teach 2nd graders when they are trying to learn the value of dollars and cents. I do believe there are some children who need to have another method for learning, but most do not. It is likely that the child who needs another method just isn’t ready for the topic and a revisit in a few months or the next school year will get the concept. That’s what teachers are for and that’s what they are trained to do. Common Core will not make kids any smarter and it certainly won’t make many parents happy either. Oh and please Mr. SAT proctor….can I please use my cubes so that I can solve my SAT algebra problems (when they only have 20 seconds per question in order to complete the test). We have had 5-7 years now….and the results aren’t looking good! Don’t even get me started with ELA!
Some people did not like this veiled reference; in particular, see: https://twitter.com/ddmeyer/status/964561458628509697