Getting to Know the New Life Model

We started our work on the New Life Model in 2009.  When I started this blog in 2011, I created some short presentations about different aspects.  Since then, the New Life Model has become used in more colleges … which means that we understand more about the issues.

I am started an updated series of presentations on the “Instant Presentations” page https://www.devmathrevival.net/?page_id=116

Two of the new videos in this series are now available — “Reform, the Big Picture” and “Reform: The New Life Model”.  I hope you and your colleagues find these videos helpful!  If you have suggestions for other presentations, pass them along.  The planned videos at this point include: the Math Lit course, the Algebraic Lit course, and Implementing New Life at your institution.

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Mathematical Literacy: How Did it Go?

In our Math Lit class, we are taking the Final Exam today.  Seems natural to talk about how the first semester went.

As you would expect, the first time through presents some challenges; we already know of several things to change for next time.  In general, the high use of small groups did what we wanted and got students directly involved with the material.  Naturally, this process uses quite a bit of class time.  My major change for next time will be an adjustment to the balance between group work and whole-class work.  When we are developing new concepts, I will keep the focus on group work; when we are more into rules and procedures, I will blend more whole-class work.  This is mostly an issue of practicality, as we ran out of time on most class days.

The Math Lit course is more about understanding than a traditional course, and this is a good thing for our students.  However, students have a harder time judging ‘did I get that’ when the focus is more on understanding.  To help them, I will be doing more daily assessments.  Obviously, this takes class time — which was a problem already.

One specific observation that I did not expect to see — students needed a symbolic rule for slope.  They generally understood that we were looking at a rate of change, but the concepts (rise and run) did not communicate what comparison to make; the ‘(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)’ statement cleared up problems they were having with two things — which values go on top, and keeping the order consistent.

Related to that is another problem — since we saw both linear and exponential models (which both involve two parameters), there remains a bit of confusion about how to write each model.  We still emphasize linear more than exponential, but I can see students mis-match the parameters between and within models.

The single biggest problem?  Getting students to do online homework!  When I could see that students were not doing any homework in the first two weeks, I started checking homework everyday.  The assignment in the book was generally done (though not always including a comparison with the answer key).  The online homework had a rate less than 10% for the class of being done — and this is with one of the better online systems.  In talking to students, internet access was the single biggest problem (though this perhaps was a polite excuse, better than ‘I did not want to do it’); they reported that they could not get online at home, and the usual work/school schedule made it difficult to get to a library or computer lab.    I can not solve the access problem; however, I will apply some additional motivation for them to keep up with the homework.

One of the pleasant surprises is how well ‘dimensional analysis’ went.  The first two times students ran into this, they really did not get it (in small groups, and whole class discussion the same day).  After a quiz and another whole class discussion, most students understood enough to do 3 to 5 step conversions in this style, with work that looks reasonably good.

Overall, the Math Lit class is off to a good start.  The focus on understanding and the use of small groups resulted in a good attitude about learning for most students.  With some adjustments to class procedures and more assessments, the class will work well next time.  [Yes, the outcomes this time were not that good; partially, this is due to a system error in registration which allowed some non-qualified students to be enrolled.]  I am making some changes to the daily schedule, along with the group/whole class shifts and more assessments.

Math Lit is a productive approach for students learning mathematics with understanding.  I am hoping that you will look into developing such a course at your college.

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Attacks on Access

Do high school students decide not to study hard because they know their local community college provides developmental classes?

You may have seen some articles (opinion, more than articles) about the use of Pell grants for developmental courses.  Michael Petrilli wrote one recently, basically saying: If students knew that Pell grants would not cover developmental courses, they would study harder in high school to avoid that later economic problem.  Fortunately, most articles like his are not well crafted, so that only those who already agree before they read it will agree with it when they are done reading it.  (See http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-30/pell-grants-shouldn-t-pay-for-remedial-college.html)

We seem to live in an era of simple ‘solutions’ to complex problems.

In talking to my students, quite a few worked as hard as they could in high school.  Sometimes, there is a learning challenge involved that remains undiagnosed.  Other students describe situations in which the daily decisions are more about survival in the now than thoughtful consideration of the future; education is often the first casualty of both poverty and family disruptions.  In more urban regions like mine, the high school environment is ‘challenging’; crime and safety compete with academics, and students often attend schools with a long history of problems.

We need to keep our voices raised for those who may not have a voice in the discussion at all — our students.  Those attacking the use of financial aid for developmental courses often lack an understanding of the factors that result in students ending up in our courses.

It is true that we place too many students in developmental courses.  It is also true that our curriculum needs some work.  Attacks on access will not solve these problems.

Here is my simple solution for a complex problem: All politicians and policy makers must begin every speech with an articulate statement on the value of learning in their own lives; further, all politicians and policy makers must complete another degree (at least at the bachelor’s level) every 10 years at risk of losing their job.

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Building a Learning Attitude — Hope

Perhaps you have a person like this in your classes.  A person who believes that struggle means that the other person has not done their job.  A person who gets discouraged because problems come up that are not her fault.  A person who believes that 20 years of completion means that they have shown sufficient achievement.

In fact, I am sure that most of us have a member of our math faculty like this (or several).

Yes, the description is for a faculty member.  She has asked me what I do when students will not contribute in class, and what to do with behavior problems; she has shared frustrations with students who don’t do their part.  In some ways, the New Life project exists for faculty like this, as a way to give hope and engage all faculty.

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” (Nelson Mandela)

We want progress.  Progress is not measured by the 50 exceptional programs; progress is measured by what all of our students experience.  We face a challenge much less complex than President Mandela did when apartheid was ended in South Africa; to make progress, he knew that all people must be included in the work.  To exclude a group just meant to exchange places with them, and prevent progress.

“We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us” (Walt Kelly, “Pogo”)

The only way to make progress is together.  We need the discouraged and cynical faculty, just as they need us. They need our hope for a better future, and we need them so progress is real, and has a chance of lasting.  To exclude people from our work is to reduce our probability of success.  Inclusion means dialogue, even when uncomfortable.  We share values about mathematics, though we may have different perspectives based on our experiences.

Do not give up on other faculty.  Keep up a dialogue.

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