| Description |
Mathematics is based on little more than common sense reasoning. Yet, instead of teaching students how to reason through a problem, the American school system promotes the use of formulas and previously proven models to teach students mathematics and many other technical subjects. American public school students fall behind many other countries in mathematics shortly after they enter middle school. Perhaps due to the current approach taken in the mathematics courses, American students are not doing as well as other students around the world are. Dr. Don Tucker and I, along with many of his students, responded to this problem at the middle school level by attempting to find a way to re-introduce common sense reasoning into the classroom. We have conjectured models, and carried out actual experimentation based upon those conjectures in classroom settings. In these efforts, we have formed rough ideas and developed questions to both test and enhance students' common sense levels. Our notions and understanding of these problems will be continually revised as more thought and experimentation is devoted to this topic. |
