[Maths-Education] The resource for the course

[Anne Watson]

>
>A very sharp distinction is being made here - are these intended to be
>mutually exclusive categories?

When the only high stakes exam was at 16 I could imagine there could 
be some merging of these categories.  Sadly, now there is testing and 
preparation for testing and mock testing and 'springboard' and 
'catchup' and 'boosting', not to mention selection tests for 
selective schools, 'optional' (oh yeah?) testing and progress 
testing, and all kinds of other words for not allowing learners to 
reflect, dwell and otherwise bask and swim around in mathematics ... 
and a growing underclass of children for whom none of this is helping 
them learn maths .... I am inclined to the view that the only 
humanistic and sane choice is to take the second category and stick 
to it for all learners.

Anne W.
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Dr. Anne Watson
Tutor for Higher Degrees,
University Lecturer in Educational Studies (Mathematics)
University of Oxford
Department of Educational Studies
15 Norham Gardens
Oxford
OX2 6PY
United Kingdom

Tel:  44 01865 274052
Fax:  44 01865 274027

Email:  anne.watson@edstud.ox.ac.uk

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