Intro to Math

There are three main components to rich math ed.  The first is varied instruction, that relies more on implicit than explicit teaching.  For math content knowledge and understanding to stick, it should be built upon schemas children develop individually, and in the context of other learners.  If it relies solely on route memorization of algorithms and processes as presented by the authority on all knowledge (the teacher), the concepts fall to the back-burner and many children leave math without an understanding of why the processes work.  Furthermore, although there is no obvious negative to teaching children explicitly, using that as your only mode for instruction runs the risk of having children who are both without ample opportunity to explore and to draw conclusions on their own.  If you approach conclusive math understanding as being able to convince yourself, convince the like-minded, and convince skeptics then you are almost always ensured that you have critically thought about math.   Similarly, it is imperative that children gain ownership over a registrar of strategies in general and in specific math processes.  The second main component deals with the integration of math into other disciplines taught in the classroom.  The idea that math is a blocked off subject that only occurs on worksheets during one period of the day paints a very boring, one dimensional view of something children will inevitably use throughout their lives on a day to day basis.  The third component is culture.  Along the same lines as seeing math in a one dimensional light, seeing math without culture continues to impress upon children that math is un-relatable and unimportant.  If multiculturalism does not permeate all aspects of the school experience, can we really conclude that we are teachers of real multicultural ed.?