When I read in the DiME chapter that there was "no statistically significant difference between schooled and nonschooled children for problems of currency arithmetic and ratio comparisons in out-of-school context" but that "children who were sellers did solve more problems drawing on the informal strategies developed in the marketplace than did nonsellers" (413), my immediate response was that the school system seemed to be set up backwards. Schools should be helping students build skills that will help them outside of school. This clearly was not the case in this situation. It's great that students were able to draw on their outside of school experience to help them in the classroom, but it almost looked like success in the classroom was the end goal rather than one step in a long process of learning.
I don't think that every topic covered in a math class necessarily needs an obviously practical application, but I do think that the skills students learn should be transferable to situations outside of the classroom. If the knowledge that students gain stays in the classroom, as it seemed with this group of students, then the learning seems fairly pointless. I think reading this helped me clarify I lot of the problems I have with the way that school privileges some kinds of cultural capital over others. School is supposed to be a place where students learn, but instead it seems to be a gatekeeper to success.
Hi Ruthie,
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that we as educators fall short of preparing students for the world outside but not focusing enough on the application of the content knowledge they are taught.The money arithmetic being one good example.I do however think that learning is a two way street when referring to where the knowledge is coming from. Students bring knowledge into class and take knowledge out of class. We cannot ensure that they will end up using everything that has been taught to them but if we have done a good job at making them question things around them i would feel that we have sowed a seed to success.
I do not think that schools are gatekeepers to success. Essentially because in practical life every institution has a way of funtioning based on where it located.Predominance does declare culture capital allocation but having said that, being a minority does not mean we should be focusing on what our culture has to offer and not explore the offerrings of other.
If a certain culture is recieving priveledges because it is predominant then lets learn the good things it has to offer through education and enlighten ourselves enough to remove further barriers.
There is always something to learn everywhere in any circumstance.