During our
math department PD (“How to Learn Math for Teachers”) we read an article by
Paul Lockhart titled A Mathematician’s
Lament. In this article Lockhart
writes about a man who wakes from a terrible nightmare in which music education
and art education were made mandatory.
math department PD (“How to Learn Math for Teachers”) we read an article by
Paul Lockhart titled A Mathematician’s
Lament. In this article Lockhart
writes about a man who wakes from a terrible nightmare in which music education
and art education were made mandatory.
“We are helping our students become
more competitive in an increasingly sound-filled world.” Educators, school
systems, and the state are put in charge of this vital project. Studies are
commissioned, committees are formed, and decisions are made—all without the
advice or participation of a single working musician or composer. Since
musicians are known to set down their ideas in the form of sheet music, these
curious black dots and lines must constitute the “language of music.” It is
imperative that students become fluent in this language if they are to attain
any degree of musical competence; indeed, it would be ludicrous to expect a
child to sing a song or play an instrument without having a thorough grounding
in music notation and theory. Playing and listening to music, let alone
composing an original piece, are considered very advanced topics and are
generally put off until college, and more often graduate school.
more competitive in an increasingly sound-filled world.” Educators, school
systems, and the state are put in charge of this vital project. Studies are
commissioned, committees are formed, and decisions are made—all without the
advice or participation of a single working musician or composer. Since
musicians are known to set down their ideas in the form of sheet music, these
curious black dots and lines must constitute the “language of music.” It is
imperative that students become fluent in this language if they are to attain
any degree of musical competence; indeed, it would be ludicrous to expect a
child to sing a song or play an instrument without having a thorough grounding
in music notation and theory. Playing and listening to music, let alone
composing an original piece, are considered very advanced topics and are
generally put off until college, and more often graduate school.
Throughout
the article it becomes increasingly clear that the author is using this music
education analogy to articulate that mathematics instruction is a
“nightmare”. The author even mentions,
“It is considered quite shameful if one’s third-grader hasn’t completely
memorized his circle of fifths,”—a clear parallel to third-graders’ memorization
of their multiplication tables. The
author makes a similar analogy to art education in his “nightmare”, writing
that “The really excellent painters—the ones who know their colors and brushes
backwards and forwards—they get to the actual painting a little sooner. …
Nothing looks better that Advanced Paint-by-Numbers on a high school
transcript.”
the article it becomes increasingly clear that the author is using this music
education analogy to articulate that mathematics instruction is a
“nightmare”. The author even mentions,
“It is considered quite shameful if one’s third-grader hasn’t completely
memorized his circle of fifths,”—a clear parallel to third-graders’ memorization
of their multiplication tables. The
author makes a similar analogy to art education in his “nightmare”, writing
that “The really excellent painters—the ones who know their colors and brushes
backwards and forwards—they get to the actual painting a little sooner. …
Nothing looks better that Advanced Paint-by-Numbers on a high school
transcript.”
This article
makes me feel sad and motivated at the same time. I’m sad because his nightmare is
reality. Math, which I would argue is a
very creative subject, has been whittled down to the memorization of basic
facts and formulas. What if that was
done to art and music? Wouldn’t that be
devastating? Then why is it not seen as
devastating when its being done to math?
A book I read over the summer mentioned that many people see math as a
finite subject, in the sense that they feel that everything about “math” has already been figured out—all you have to
do is memorize the facts and formulas. Where
is the fun in that? What if art and
music were seen that way? That all of
the songs had already been composed and all of the art had already been
created—all that was left to do was memorize the steps.
makes me feel sad and motivated at the same time. I’m sad because his nightmare is
reality. Math, which I would argue is a
very creative subject, has been whittled down to the memorization of basic
facts and formulas. What if that was
done to art and music? Wouldn’t that be
devastating? Then why is it not seen as
devastating when its being done to math?
A book I read over the summer mentioned that many people see math as a
finite subject, in the sense that they feel that everything about “math” has already been figured out—all you have to
do is memorize the facts and formulas. Where
is the fun in that? What if art and
music were seen that way? That all of
the songs had already been composed and all of the art had already been
created—all that was left to do was memorize the steps.
Once I get
over my initial sadness, I feel motivated.
I want to show my students the beauty and creativity that math has to
offer. I want them to see math used in unconventional
ways and be curious about how they can apply math outside the confines of the
textbook and classroom. I want them to understand WHY certain formulas work—not
just that they do. I want them to see math as a tool for solving questions THEY
have, not as a set of facts for solving problems that have already been figured
out. Sometimes I feel like I have more
questions than answers for how to make this a reality, but that’s my personal
charge. I want to figure it out.
over my initial sadness, I feel motivated.
I want to show my students the beauty and creativity that math has to
offer. I want them to see math used in unconventional
ways and be curious about how they can apply math outside the confines of the
textbook and classroom. I want them to understand WHY certain formulas work—not
just that they do. I want them to see math as a tool for solving questions THEY
have, not as a set of facts for solving problems that have already been figured
out. Sometimes I feel like I have more
questions than answers for how to make this a reality, but that’s my personal
charge. I want to figure it out.