Comments on "Using Research to Analyze, Inform, and Assess Changes in Instruction"

I like the way she describes her ideal classroom as "one where the students actively participate in learning process by being engaged in enriching and meaningful learning activities that help make mathematics relevant and realistic -- rather than an abstract 'thing'. . . where students appreciate each other's ideas and are not afraid to be wrong in order to accomplish learning."

I think she gives too much importance to research. In research, I feel that, after researchers have done their research, they are now trying to point to the "right" direction where all teachers must follow, if they want to be benefited from the research being done. I think that every teacher is also a human being and therefore have different ways to approach his or her students without either type of approach being the"best" one. So teacher A may in fact lecture through most of the class, while teacher B's class consists of mostly group activities, and both could equally be reagarded by the community as "great" teachers. In short, as far as teaching goes, one technique does not fit all.

On the other hand, if a teacher feels like they need to change because the way they are teaching is not a way in which he or she would feel comfortable or because they are not getting the desired results, then by all means, research should be consulted and applied. I am not saying that research is useless, but I think that it is not the answer to every teaching issue.

I like the way her class turned around. I think that she would not have noticed the shortcomings of her class had there not been a standardized test in place. I think that is sad because the only way that she could find that out was by the high number of students failing the standardized test.