Is the way we educate students fully preparing them for the future?
No, not well enough. In many subjects, math being one of them, methods are very limited. The way in which we approach math has not changed in the last 100 years, which is why we cannot fully prepare students for the workforce of the future.
It has been said that math is a creative subject. Can math answer open ended questions?
Yes, math can answer open ended questions and have open ended exercises as well as equations with just one possible answer. We develop a lot of exercises that involve discovery and exploration.
I remember how surprised some high school teachers were when they read a study conducted by ninth graders. In the study students shared their hypothesis and the methods used in finding their results. Students were able to work and research with things that interested them. This approach is something that is being used in math more and more, although it seems to frighten some people when there isn't an obvious answer to an equation. It is like using a new teaching method - you don't know what to expect at first. You have to be bold and take a leap of faith.
If teaching never changes it becomes very predictable. Math can be extremely creative and there's plenty of freedom to explore a variety of exercises with all kinds of possible answers.
HundrED is designed to help Finland maintain it's reputation at the forefront of education.
Over the next two years we will interview 100 global thought leaders, create 100 case studies of exciting education happenings worldwide, and trial 100 new innovations in schools in Finland over the course of one year. Our findings will be shared with the world for free.