And so it begins...

About the authors:

We are two teachers from Los Angeles. We love teaching and are always looking for ways to improve our practice. Within this blog, we will be sharing our discoveries about math during our trip to Singapore. 

Our story: 

A few years ago, we started working at a school that had adopted the Singapore Math program. This program had been adapted to the United States from studying Singaporean pedagogy and the state standards. 

As we used the program, the teachers' guides and text books, we had many questions. We wondered what this math looked like in practice in Singapore. Since Singapore has been ranked in the top 3 countries for achievement in  mathematics, we wanted to know all that made their program so successful. 

We found out about an organization that could help us make this a reality. Fund For Teachers is an organization that provides grants for teachers for professional development projects during the summer. These projects are fully created by the teachers and as long as it's for professional and student growth- the sky is the limit (on ideas, not $, though they are very generous!!!). 

From their website: Fund for Teachers enriches the personal and professional growth of teachers by recognizing and supporting them as they identify and pursue opportunities around the globe that will have the greatest impact on their practice, the academic lives of their students and on their school communities.

See http://www.fundforteachers.org/ for more info on Fund For Teachers.  

After hearing all the great things about the program from our colleagues who had received grants before, we knew this would be a great opportunity. We began to plan our proposal to visit Singaporean schools, which are actually in session during our summer vacation! For the application process we had to build an itinerary and budget for our proposal.  

Our proposal (introduction):

Math is a universal language.  For the English Language Learners in our community, math can be a gateway to success.  While learning the many languages of every subject in school, students are able to actively participate in the tangible language of math.  Math gives students a voice; they can often express themselves mathematically before they can in speaking or writing.

Working with a population of 95% English Language Learners, we notice the positive affects math can have on a student’s desire to learn in all arenas.  Success in math can lead to increased perseverance in all subjects.   By giving students a strong math foundation, we are providing them tools to compete in the increasingly global economy.

“While there are no simple answers, I know from experience that when you focus on basics like reading and math, when you embrace innovative new approaches to learning, and when you create a professional climate that attracts great teachers--you can make a difference for children.” --Arne Duncan

Singapore is the international leader in math instruction. According to the TIMMS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) assessment,  Singapore has been consistently ranked among the top 3 in mathematics proficiency since 1995.  Because of Singapore’s success, many schools in the United States have adopted the curriculum. The Singapore curriculum focuses on conceptual knowledge rather than computational knowledge. It offers innovative ways to develop concrete explanations, fluency and mental math. They have a strong progression for explaining mathematical concepts that goes from with concrete explanations (working with manipulatives) to pictorial representations (pictures and drawings) and finally with abstract representations (numbers and symbols). For these reasons our school has adopted the Singapore Math model for teaching mathematics school wide. We have been using the Singapore Math curriculum at our school for three years now, and we want to refine our practice and utilize the resources in the way they were created. 

Unfortunately, our conversations with colleagues who were taught math in the ‘traditional’ way of the United States have prevented us from seeing the potential of ‘non-traditional’ math systems.  It is our goal to research and see first-hand Singaporean philosophy and pedagogy, so we can better implement and faithfully practice the tenets of our adopted math curriculum. 

How is mathematics instruction structured in a country which is so successful in its math education?  What hands-on opportunities are provided to the students in Singapore that give them such a strong foundation?  How do teachers design year-, unit-, and weekly plans to reach learning targets?  How is the school day structured to provide students the time to explore concepts and apply concepts in real-world situations? What types of mathematical conversations are teachers in Singapore having to push their thinking, and their students’ thinking, to the depth required to truly understand math?  Because our Singapore curriculum was created by American educators, modeled after the Singaporean model, we want to learn from the source to ensure we’re not losing important elements that have added to Singapore’s success in mathematics instruction.  How would a faithful implementation of the program improve our students’ learning and prepare them for the increased expectation of the Common Core Standards around reasoning and problem-solving?

Our passion to provide high-quality education and future opportunities for our school population has driven us to seek out the chance to solidify our school’s math instruction.  If we can strengthen our math curriculum, our students will have the mathematical understanding they need for college, and be prepared to join the global society.  With all of the obstacles our students face daily, as an immigrant and high-poverty community, mathematics is a way to overcome challenges.  Through math instruction, we want to disprove the deficit model and exceed the standards society has set for them because of where they live.  

We’ve seen the power Singapore Math has already had at our school.  Through this fellowship, we will have the opportunity to take mathematics instruction to the next level.  Through our planned structure of research, observation, and reflection, we will be empowered with the knowledge to improve our planning and execution of math instruction, and provide student-centered curriculum school-wide.

Our goal is to spend 2 weeks visiting Singaporean schools where we will learn about the school and observe teachers teaching mathematics. During this time we want to see if we are correctly implementing Singaporean practices for teaching math. We also want to learn strategies for improving our practice.

We are so thankful to Fund For Teachers for approving our proposal and giving us the opportunity of a lifetime! We are so ready for our adventure....