Problem solving...

In his book, Tony Wagner (The Global Achievement Gap), states "...While all employers need workers who can solve problems, they do not find that students who have taken the usual math and science courses and passed the tests can apply this content to solving real problems...."  He continues to ponder things like why students need higher math courses, but not statistics and probability.  The implication is that higher math classes will allow students to become better problem solvers; however, there is no real proof that this is the case.  The higher math classes are associated with success in college, but taking any challenging class can show an association with student success in college. 

He further states on the next page that, "The question is not whether to teach math and science, but rather, what to teach and how.  How many students graduate from high school today knowing how to solve algebra problems by rote, but do not understand math as a way of thinking about how to solve problems?"

Do graduates lack preparation in real life math and science?  Critical thinking skills?  Problem solving skills?

I will share experience I had with my middle school science and high school math students.  They lacked problem solving skills in general:  they would hardly memorize a formula past a test, make less take the time to understand why the formula worked. In math, the students would repeatedly ask me, "Will this be on the test?" and if I said no (which rarely occurred), the pencils went down - no interest in the area of math we were studying.  There were a few who appeared interested, but to make a general statement, they were not interested in math beyond their report card! 

Science was a different story.  When we were doing something 'hands-on' or fun, the kids were interested and learned a good deal of the information.  But with the limited time I had to teach each area, we did not have enough days to expand, review, and critically think through the possibilities of a particular topic. 

Today's students need challenges which go beyond memorization, rote learning, and test taking.  Students need to have a base knowledge with real-life examples then be allowed to expand on their interests, study what they want for how long they like - until something else sparks a real interest.  Homeschooling, through various curriculum and the Internet, will allow students to 'see' math and 'do' science for a real experience.

Example of homeschooling curriculum that shows you math:  Math U See

What do you think about high school graduates being prepared to solve real life problems.  Do you see a parallel with their high school math and science levels?  Do you think they could be great problem solvers with other classes (statistics, perhaps)?  Would you like to be able to choose challenging curriculum that works for your child and not simply what the rest of the county or state children are using?