Is this true???

[Gato_Solo]

Although I object to the stereotypic word 'Hula-izing', is the rest of this part on Hawaii true?

Native Hawaiian students will be taught Hawaiian-style science, technology, engineering and mathematics, thanks to a National Science Foundation grant to the University of Hawaii at Hlo.
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Advanced classes would include rain forest restoration, volcano studies and "ethnomathematics," which would look at the math of Hawaiian navigation, symmetries in Hawaiian textiles and spatial relationships in fish nets and knots, for example

Color-coding the curriculum is patronizing and stupid, writes Marc Miyake on Amritas. Most native Hawaiians aren't primitives in paradise: They're more into downloading MP3s than casting their nets into the sea. TV beats taro.
There’s no harm in using island examples to teach real science and math: That guy rowing against the current -- a staple of my math education -- can be a native paddling her outrigger against the tide. That’s math. But it’s not ethnomath. When the ethno comes in, the rigor goes out.

In theory, native Hawaiians’ self-esteem will be boosted by hula-ized curriculum. In practice, hula-izing the curriculum implies that natives can’t learn like other students. As Miyake notes, students of Asian descent learn without abacus training. Dutch-Americans don’t need dike and windmill problems, nor do Italian-Americans do math with Roman numerals.

Here is the source.

 

[Gonz]

Funny, I was taught that science (mathematics in particular) was a Universal Standard. There can be no bias of facts. I stand corrected

Typically, ethno-curriculum defines science as white, and therefore cold, while the warm-hearted natives have... spiritual stuff.

but then again, I'm not an American either

A Marylander says his sixth-grade son has to do a family tree for English class. There is no writing involved. There are no grammar or punctuation lessons. But what really bugs the dad is this instruction for the verbal presentation: "Do not refer to yourself as an American unless you are an American Indian."

 

[Dave]

: "Do not refer to yourself as an American unless you are an American Indian."

 

[ihcra]

what would you address yourself as? mind boggles


science truly is universal and absolute - the presentation of science is not.

it is much the same as when capacity or number is presented to early schoolers by using blocks or pictures of sheep (for ris) the medium does not distort the message

now it depends on whether localised analogies are used to present the absoulte and fundamental scientific principles or if in fact hocus-pocus is being taught as an alternative to science - in which case perhaps it would be better termed 'religious education'?

 

[unclehobart]

I for one am a believer in the states rights level for this so long as the overall goal is the basic core material. Using local and regional concepts that help students visualize math, gemoetry, hydrodynamics, biology and the like is quite helpful to reinforce the given lesson. When everything is presented in a stale format day in and day out, it drives students into naptime. The best classes I remember in high school and college were taught by profs used techniques that drew you in and kept your attention. I looked forward to going to Dr Shealy and his mideval european history course. He was a master at keeping his students riveted.

If all 50 states are allowed to tailor the methodology as they see fit just so long as they ultimately teach the core material to the level required by the feds, I don't have a problem with it. If Hawaii wants to teach math in terms of surf and sand ... more power to them... just so long as it is math.

I don't like the idea of a teacher forcing their political ideology on grade school students in concepts of who and who they are not.... thats for when education is voluntary, aka college.

 

[ihcra]

well even then surely it is questionable. it is good enough that you must choose to quit college and start again someplace else if some educator is spouting his own opinions as gospel truth - failing you if you dont tow the line?