Doing Right by the 8 Mathemtical Practices

John Allen Paulos wrote in his book Innumeracy, “... mathematics has as much to do with computation as writing has to do with typing.” Yet, school mathematics continues to focus heavily on computation and arithmetic and not nearly enough on critical thinking and problem solving. What the Common Core gets right is the 8 Mathematical Practices, and these competencies depend on instruction and curriculum that expose students to mathematics as a way of thinking and solving problems. That the real utility of mathematics lies in the habits of mind. Let’s engage in these tasks ourselves and have conversations about practical ways to embed problem solving into students’ everyday interaction with mathematics.