This week’s recommendation comes from:
Joe Dostilio
Mathematics Fellow
Joe says, “There is a lot of talk about learning loss these days. TODOS voices a rejection of learning loss that shifts the conversations and reminds us of what we must be mindful of this school year, and really, every school year.”
Where Is Manuel? A Rejection of ‘Learning Loss’
TODOS
“Resist deficit thinking and do not send deficit messages to the students like Manuel, and others who did attend daily, and instead look for what knowledge they gained and how they grew.” – TODOS
TODOS is an organization that advocates for equity and high-quality mathematics education for all students, in particular Latina/o students. In this article, they first “clear the air” about learning loss in detailing how entire segments of society have historically been excluded from learning. TODOS then examines the deficit assumptions that are behind most narratives about learning loss. They conclude by listing what educators must resist in order to “identify the deep thinking, wondering, and imagining that (students) already do mathematically.”