Abstract
Teachers who teach math want their students to succeed in mathematics. They want students to experience high-quality, engaging mathematics instruction. There are ambitious expectations for all, with accommodation for those who need it. Of course not all learners of mathematics are successful for various reasons. Therefore, mathematical leaders and politicians started the reform movement in mathematics. Prodded by a series of critical national advisory reports and by disappointing results from international comparisons of mathematics achievement, organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) formulated an agenda for reform in three volumes of professional standards: Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989), Professional Standards for Teaching School Mathematics (1991), and Assessment Standards for School Mathematics (1995). In the year 2000, NCTM created Principles and Standards of School Mathematics (PSSM) which includes the principles and standards. In July 2001, The Mathematics Achievement Partnership (MAP) created the draft for Foundations for Success: Mathematics for the Middle Grades (FFS). These documents were created to support teachers by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to help raise student proficiency and understanding of the mathematics curriculum.
There are many issues worth tackling in the field of mathematics education among the “math wars.” One issue many traditionalist and reformist educators cannot agree upon is communication in mathematics. Journal writing is a popular tool teachers use to incorporate writing in their math classes. When reading, writing, discussing, and thinking is encouraged in the math classroom, students often not only focus on procedural knowledge of algorithms, but they also communicate their thoughts, explanations, or clarifications in writing. In this paper, I will describe and summarize the major arguments and research for and against the issue of communication in math and state my personal view of this issue. This paper will also include explicit suggestions for Principles and Standards of School Mathematics (PSSM), created by The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Foundations for Success: Mathematics for the Middle Grades (FFS), created by Mathematics Achievement Partnership (MAP).