The article didn't really make clear what the point is of the new new math. Is it to provide a deeper understanding of number theory? Or is it to provide different algorithms that don't require memorization of the multiplication table?
Not that I know anything about math education, but how hard is it, really, to understand that 3 x 7 means that you add 3 together 7 times? Once you understand that, you understand the fundamental "meaning" of multiplication.
Granted, adding 3 together 7 times is the long and tedious way to do it and there are handy shortcuts, but do we really need to understand how the shortcuts work in order to use them effectively? Besides, based on the [biased] reports given in the article, it would seem that the kids don't really understand the mechanism behind the new methods either.
It would, however, be nice to do away with memorizing the multiplication table. And maybe it really can be done with only a slight increase in algorithmic complexity. If that's the case, then I imagine this is just the age-old gripe of parents not knowing how to help their kids with their homework.
i don't think anyone wants to throw away the multiplication tables, they're written in our brains and can be accessed without much effort.
rather, it would be cool if kids could grasp, sooner than later, that "3 x 7" is (the bulk of) the answer, no matter if the question is 21 x 49 or 1 x (7/3).
Not that I know anything about math education, but how hard is it, really, to understand that 3 x 7 means that you add 3 together 7 times? Once you understand that, you understand the fundamental "meaning" of multiplication.
Granted, adding 3 together 7 times is the long and tedious way to do it and there are handy shortcuts, but do we really need to understand how the shortcuts work in order to use them effectively? Besides, based on the [biased] reports given in the article, it would seem that the kids don't really understand the mechanism behind the new methods either.
It would, however, be nice to do away with memorizing the multiplication table. And maybe it really can be done with only a slight increase in algorithmic complexity. If that's the case, then I imagine this is just the age-old gripe of parents not knowing how to help their kids with their homework.