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Rice Paddies and Math Tests. Rice was what you sold at the market to buy the other necessities of life. It was how wealth and status were measured. It dictated almost every working day of life. (p. 227). East-West Differences in Math. Where do they come from?.
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Rice Paddies and Math Tests Rice was what you sold at the market to buy the other necessities of life. It was how wealth and status were measured. It dictated almost every working day of life. (p. 227)
Where do they come from? Take a look at the following list of numbers: 4, 8, 5, 3, 9, 7, 6. Read them out loud. Now look away and spend twenty seconds memorizing that sequence before saying them out loud again.
Language Differences Phonological Loop • Shorter numbers, larger span
Language Differences Logic of Counting System • 11 is “ten-one” • 24 is “two-tens-four”
Language Differences Counting Differences • By 5, English children are year behind Asian counterparts in basic skills, e.g., counting
Language Differences The Asian system is transparent…I think that it makes the whole attitude toward math different. Instead of being a rote learning thing, there’s a pattern I can figure out. There is an expectation that it’s sensible. The Chinese is literally ‘out of five parts, take three.’ That’s telling you conceptually what a fraction is.
Language Differences Because of differences in structure of number words, Asian children acquire primary mathematical abilities (e.g., counting) earlier, but this can’t explain very large differences in math achievement
The Eastern Agricultural Work Ethic Don’t depend on heaven for food, but on your own two hands carrying the load. Useless to ask about the crops, it all depends on hard work and fertilizer. Farmers are busy; farmers are busy; if farmers weren’t busy, where would grain to get through the winter come from. No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich.
What Else Matters? Arithmetic topics that are introduced in the 5th or 6th grade in the U.S. are introduced in the 2nd or 3rd grade in Japan, China, and other Asian countries
What Else Matters? Mathematics is emphasized in East Asian cultures, but de-emphasized in the U.S. Cultural differences affect in-school experiences
Ability vs. Persistence (Gambaru) Gambaru: the belief that one can achieve high status through persistent effort
What Malcolm Says Imagine every year, there was a Math Olympics…we could predict precisely the order in which every country would finish in the Math Olympics without asking a single question. All we would have to do is give them some task measuring how hard they were willing to work…We wouldn’t even have to give them a task. We should be able to predict which countries are best at math simply by looking at which national cultures place the highest emphasis on effort and hard work.
Marita’s Bargain KIPP schools can be classified into three groups: Middle schools - The traditional KIPP middle school starts with a fifth grade and adds a grade each year to serve fifth through eighth grades. The majority of KIPP schools are middle schools. High schools - KIPP high schools begin with ninth grade and add a grade each year until they become full ninth through twelfth grade high schools. Pre-K/Elementary schools - KIPP pre-kindergarten/elementary schools typically begin with a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten class and add a grade each year until eventually enrolling up to fourth grade students.
KIPP The KIPP approach KIPP schools are free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools where underserved students develop the knowledge, skills, and character traits needed to succeed in top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond. By providing a safe and structured learning environment, more time in school, and passionate, committed teachers, KIPP schools have helped students make significant academic gains. Each KIPP school is governed by a local board of directors and led by a school leader. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAKBnR-QSls
Not Enough School? Class After 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total Low -3.67 -1.70 2.74 2.89 0.26 Middle -3.11 4.18 3.68 2.34 7.09 High 15.38 9.22 14.51 13.38 52.49
What Malcolm Says Everything we have learned in Outliers says that success follows a predictable course. It is not the brightest who succeed. If it were, Chris Langan would be up there with Einstein. Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities—and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.