I had today’s column already written – almost ready to submit.  Then I picked the morning paper out of the driveway this past Wednesday.  (Yes, I still prefer the ‘paper’ paper.)
The “Education Matters” column (Machines Smarter, Math Scores Still Falling) caught my eye, and then my interest, and then my concern.  I worry about its conclusions, and, coming from a math educational background, I’d like to discuss it.
The column’s premise is that math scores ‘are plummeting’, though it does not say where (Springfield? Missouri? Nationwide?), nor does it provide any evidence of this (though I DO understand columns have space limitations!).
I’m not so sure it’s true nationally, but let’s not quibble.  Suppose math scores are falling – somewhere, anywhere, or even everywhere.  And, certainly, our country’s performances in math have been cause for concern, especially compared to other countries, at times.  This comparison is worrisome whether the actual scores are currently rising or falling, by the way.
Here’s the rub:  The column seems to imply a connection between falling math scores and the existence of faster calculating ‘devices’.  Let’s examine that.
First, wouldn’t it make more sense to make that connection if math scores were rising? (“Of course students are getting more right answers – they’ve got calculators!”)  I wouldn’t agree with the logic then, either, but I digress.
The column says “Machines can now work about as fast as our mind, maybe faster”, and follows with this question: “So, why hadn’t this made math scores skyrocket?”  Very ironically, the column excellently answers its own question, earlier in the same paragraph:  “Technology only makes processes faster, so information can be obtained more quickly”.  Amen!!
Mathematics is about solving problems (using a toolbag of collected skills), not ‘gathering information’ (though that happens).  This has always been true, regardless of whether we’re using slate boards or calculators. Technology (faster or not) does NOT solve problems, as the column admits. Faster technology only gets information faster.  Mathematics is about using that information correctly to find solutions to real-world problems.
If your ‘tree-guy’ mistakenly lets a tree fall on your carport, do you blame it on his fancy new chainsaw?  So, if math scores are in fact falling, let’s NOT blame it on faster information-gathering tools.  Let’s examine why students aren’t using that information better.
I grinned at the column’s complaint that today’s students can’t take a square root (on a Big Chief tablet).  But I’m puzzled with the implication this is somehow connected to any falling math scores.  Where’s the connection?  Would we denigrate a student who could no longer saddle a horse?  If a student knows that a ‘square root’ is needed in a problem (the key skill!), does it matter whether she calculates it by hand, or saves a lot of time by using a calculator???
I have my doctorate in the field of math, and I readily (and thankfully) confess that I can no longer do the square root calculation.  Nonetheless, other than the occasional bouts with approaching senility, I’m not too worried about my math abilities.  (Actually, I say HOORAY to the math teacher who said they hadn’t done that in decades!!  I’d be MORE worried if they were still doing it!)
There are so many more issues in play here, and they are important!  But if and when math scores are falling, we all do ourselves a disservice if we become sidetracked with spurious connections, rather than seeking authentic solutions.