Interview
Jo Boaler: How to Learn Math | Lex Fridman Podcast #226
- By 2030, the number of states offering data science as a high school course is predicted to double or more compared to the previous year, with acceptance by the UC system expected to trigger a viral expansion into other states in the upcoming year.
- Over a 10 to 100-year timeframe, the education system is expected to evolve from the current "factory model" into a totally different structure featuring dissolved subject boundaries and the deep integration of programming, potentially rendering current practices appear "hilarious" to future generations.
- Implementation of a new math framework is anticipated to shift teaching focus from 60 separate standards or procedural statements to "big ideas and connections," particularly within K-10 mathematics, potentially validating data science as a legitimate college pathway to replace Algebra Two.
- The speaker warns that increased testing and grading pressures starting around fifth grade may cause many high school students to give up on mathematics, while parents communicating math anxiety or admitting to poor math skills are likely to see a decline in their children's achievement.
- Current assessments relying on speed tests for multiples may be replaced by evaluating "groupitizing" (grouping dots), identified as a key predictor of math success, if schools recognize its importance over time-constrained drills.
- Students taught to collaborate effectively, utilize multi-colored pens for tracking contributions, or value diverse thinking are expected to stop working in silos, learn to "build on each other's ways of thinking," and achieve higher results.
- Adoption of teaching strategies such as "YouCubed," deep collaboration, and the message that "struggle is good for your brain" is projected to increase student engagement by 68% and improve year-end performance compared to traditional methods.
- If teachers communicate sincere belief in students ("I believe in you") rather than using feedback as a stamp, student performance is expected to improve significantly one year later, whereas a lack of teacher belief may lead to students being given up on before they reach proficiency.
- Children exposed to rich, deep activities based on big ideas rather than procedural statements are expected to naturally learn more math over a few days and potentially discover new concepts, such as applying square border calculations to pentagons.
- The "Week of Inspirational Maths" is expected to download millions of times and create a temporary surge in excitement and engagement ("lights being on"), though there is a risk this excitement may fade once standard textbooks are re-introduced.
- High school students accustomed to daily grading on everything are expected to miss opportunities for deep learning due to a created "performance culture," while those taught to extend their own questions or visualize problems are likely to develop creative, flexible minds.
- If the belief that "excellence is important" but only for those "born" with it persists, many students may stop trying because they believe they can never reach the goal, whereas teaching that "anybody can get there" with hard work and good teaching may solve this issue.
- Future educators are expected to move away from textbooks that fragment mathematics into small pieces, instead using multi-dimensional approaches (visual, numbers, words, physical) to ensure access for different brain wirings and prevent pushing away deep thinkers.
- The speaker hopes for a future where every mathematics teacher knows "YouCubed," where parents remain "endlessly optimistic" to support their children's success, and where teaching "the best way to learn is to teach" becomes a transformative standard.
- If students are taught to work slowly and deeply on extended problems, they are expected to view this capacity as a buildable skill, while those exposed to visual formulations through programming may become better suited for the 21st century.
- A "multi-dimensional" teaching approach is expected to allow more children to access mathematics compared to single-method teaching, provided that excellent students are also challenged with tasks they initially think cannot be done to prevent complacency.
- The "Udacity principle" of five-to-ten-minute segments followed by active questions is anticipated to prevent students from disengaging during lectures, while coding for a week or adapting the "Week of Code" model could spark similar excitement in math.
- If students are taught to see math as a subject of patterns and are encouraged to create their own visualizations using Python or JavaScript, they are expected to love the process and inspire others.
- Teachers are expected to find that children who watch the online "How to Learn Math" course end up significantly more engaged, while those taught to rely on intuition alongside formal proofs will better understand the core secrets of problems.
- If the "factory model" changes, students will be able to learn, find out, and create things simultaneously, and the education system may eventually stop teaching according to multiple statements in favor of focusing on big ideas.
- Parents who "fake it" and remain optimistic are expected to help their children succeed despite the parents' own negative math experiences, and students who surround themselves with people who believe in them may see their life trajectories positively defined.
- If the new math framework is adopted, teachers may stop teaching 60 separate standards to focus on a set of big ideas, and students who are taught to reflect on "big ideas" in homework rather than just solving questions will gain deeper topic understanding.
- The speaker anticipates that if the current trend of "groupitizing" is recognized as a key predictor of math success, schools may shift away from speed tests, and if students are taught to see 7 dots in 18 different ways, they will realize math is about patterns everywhere.
- If students are taught to "extend" their work, they will discover new concepts like finding the border of a pentagon, and if teachers focus on excellent students, it will signal they can be launched on a significant path.
- The speaker expects that if students are taught to believe in themselves and know they can achieve, they may relearn things and change careers, and if the "Week of Inspirational Maths" is used, teachers will see lights on and kids loving it during the week.
- If students are taught to collaborate using colored pens, they will stop working on separate parts of the paper, and if teachers use color coding for algebraic expressions, students will see relationships more clearly.
- The speaker anticipates that if students are taught to visualize math problems, a connection will happen in their brain between different pathways, and if they are taught that "the best way to learn is to teach," it will be transformative.
- If students are taught that struggle is good, it will push them on when they believe they can be great, and if parents fake it, it will help their children.
- If the "new math framework" is adopted, the whole of mathematics K-10 will be set out as a set of big ideas and connections, and if students are taught to extend their problems, they will discover new concepts.
- If teachers communicate "I believe in you," students will perform significantly better, and if students are taught to collaborate using colored pens, they will stop working on separate parts of the paper.
- The speaker expects that if students are taught that "the best way to learn is to teach," it will be transformative, and if students are taught to group dots, they will learn that seeing how kids group dots predicts math success.
- If the "new math framework" is adopted, the whole of mathematics K-10 will be set out as a set of big ideas and connections, and if students are taught that struggle is good, it will push you on when you believe you can be great.
- If parents fake it, it will help their children, and if the "Week of Inspirational Maths" is used, teachers will see lights were on.
- If students are taught to extend their problems, they will discover new concepts, and if teachers focus on excellent students, it will signal to them that they can be launched on a significant path.
- If students are taught to believe in themselves, they may relearn things and change careers later in life.
- If the "factory model" of schooling changes, the system will become totally different in 100 years.
- If students are taught to collaborate, they will learn to value other people's thinking.
- If students are taught to group dots, they will realize that seeing how kids group dots predicts math success.
- If the "new math framework" is adopted, teachers will stop teaching according to all these multiple multiple statements.
- If students are taught to extend their problems, they will discover new concepts.
- If teachers communicate "I believe in you," students will perform significantly better.
- If students are taught to collaborate using colored pens, they will stop working on separate parts of the paper.
- If students are taught that "the best way to learn is to teach," it will be transformative.
- If students are taught to group dots, they will learn that it is a more important assessment than speed tests.
- If the "new math framework" is adopted, the whole of mathematics K-10 will be set out as a set of big ideas and connections.
- If students are taught that struggle is good, it will push you on when you believe you can be great.
- If parents fake it, it will help their children.
- If the "Week of Inspirational Maths" is used, teachers will see lights were on.
- If students are taught to extend their problems, they will discover new concepts.
- If teachers focus on excellent students, it will signal to them that they can be launched on a significant path.
- If students are taught to believe in themselves.