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Here's an interesting response to the Ravitch article from the authors of
the book she critiques.
- Len
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Justice for the World, Through Mathematics
Diane Ravitch ("Ethnomathematics," editorial page, June 20) can't seem to
get anything to add up quite right in her critique of our book,
Rethinking Mathematics.
First she ridicules the idea that math instruction can't be neutral but
then asserts that the only purpose of math is to help students become
"the builders and shapers of technology in the 21st century." That's not
political?
Ms. Ravitch also implies that students who rethink mathematics won't play
a part in building and shaping our future. What about helping students
become the people who will make the world a better place? Shouldn't
educators suggest that math can help solve poverty, the AIDS crisis,
global warming, overreliance on fossil fuels, and so many other vexing
problems? Why is it a curricular crime to suggest that maybe math could
help people and the environment? It's our experience that when students
recognize that math can focus on real world issues, their motivation to
learn increases.
Finally, Ms. Ravitch asserts that a socially responsible mathematics
lacks rigor. Where is her evidence? Indeed it's Ms. Ravitch's critique
that lacks rigor. Instead of actually evaluating the substance of our
book, she lists the titles of various chapters. We think it is teachers'
responsibility to help students sharpen their analytical skills through
mathematics so that they might contribute to social and ecological
justice.
Bob Peterson and Eric Gutstein
Milwaukee
(Messrs. Peterson and Gutstein are the editors of "Rethinking
Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers")
Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2005
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-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Watson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 11:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Ethnomathematics by Diane Ravitch
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*
Good. Thanks. However, I met with some web certificate examination, but
I did get through.
I sent some of this material to a friend, and reported that he found a
number of blogs on the article via a Google query. I'll have to take a
look for them via Google.
M. Pamela Bumsted wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
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*
>
>
> At 2005-06-25 12:05 AM -0400, you wrote:
>
>> Ethnomathematics by Diane Ravitch
>
>
> https://apps49.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/ravitch/20050620.htm
>
>
--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes."
-- Mark Twain
Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>
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