The Dangers of Teaching Standard Algorithms

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When I was in elementary school, we were taught the algorithm without any teaching around how it worked or why it worked because there is beautiful coherent logic that underlies the algorithms. So by far, when you, when L.L.S. fails, if you understood how that algorithm worked, then you could go back to that as somebody two or three years out from the initial instruction and you could get to a problem solution that works. And instead, what we have done is exactly what you said. We are moving away from sort of algorithm only instruction without any kind of explanation,. like the famous one to me is dividing with fractions.

Join math professor Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, a leading expert in using evidence-based methods to improve math instruction in schools. Dr. VanDerHeyden is a co-founder of The Science of Math, a group of experts advocating for evidence-based math instruction.

Dr. VanDerHeyden shares the origins and goals of the Science of Math movement, as well as addressing common misconceptions. Do timed tests cause math anxiety? Do standard algorithms hinder understanding? Is explicit instruction only helpful for struggling learners? The discussion also covers what happens when kids fall behind in math, among other topics.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in education, especially teachers and parents.

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-3-resources

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Intro and Outro music by Coma Media - Catch it

Transition music by Podington Bear – Camp

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

http://www.annastokke.com/ep-3-transcript

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke