The inanity of the progressive predilection for injecting identity politics into every academic subject sticks out most when it comes to mathematics.
For example, showing your work in California public school math classes is an example of “white supremacy culture.” In Oregon, one demonstrates “toxic white supremacy culture” by trying to get the correct answer.
And, of course, who can forget the claim that 2+2 can sometimes equal … five?
These head-scratching antics, unfortunately, extend to our northern neighbor. Public school ninth graders in Ontario, Canada are treated to math courses which “recogniz[e] their identities, lived experiences, and communities” in which their teachers “build on […] lived experiences” in order to “honour diverse mathematical ideas and thoughts, and incorporate multiple ways of knowing and doing.”
Goals of Ontario’s math curriculum include “appreciat[ing] multiple mathematical perspectives” and using math to “promote actions [which] address social and environmental issues such as inequity and discrimination.”
The curriculum’s principles note that teaching math is “most effective” when it “values diversity” and “recognizes that [it] can be subjective” (emphasis added). This subjectivity comes in the form of “celebrating” certain mathematicians, and the degree to which a society values mathematics.
Got my bachelor’s degree in mathematics, but don’t actually recall celebrating any mathematicians! Can I get my money back?
— Jens Fiederer (@jensfiederer) July 10, 2021
“Mathematics has been used to normalize racism and marginalization of non-Eurocentric mathematical knowledges, and a decolonial, anti-racist approach to mathematics education makes visible its historical roots and social constructions,” the principles state.
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The section on “Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy in Mathematics” says “Eurocentric ideas” about teaching math should be questioned — because in “an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory environment, teachers know that there is more than one way to develop a solution.”
In the Eastern Bloc, “2+2=5” was simply a metaphor for the absurdity of the regime. I see that here and now it may well become a respected scientific position. These are heretofore unexplored heights of collective stupidity.
— Cristian Micu (@CristianMicu8) July 10, 2021
Indeed, indigenous/Native American math acquisition involves “holistic, experiential learning, teacher modelling, and the use of collaborative and engaging activities”:
[T]eachers are encouraged to work in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals, communities, and/or nations. Teachers may respectfully incorporate culturally specific examples that highlight First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures, histories, present-day realities, ways of knowing, and contributions, to infuse Indigenous knowledges and perspectives meaningfully and authentically into the mathematics program […] Students’ mind, body, and spirit are nourished through connections and creativity.
“[I]t is crucial to acknowledge students’ intersecting social identities and their connected lived realities,” the section on “Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusive Education in Mathematics” reads. Teachers must nurture an “identity-affirming” classroom environment in order to “uphold and promot[e] the human rights” of each student.
h/t to Twitchy
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