A group of students looks at a pie chart showing the reading habits of people in the United States. A “maths leader” stands in front of them and asks the group to share what they “notice and wonder”.
This discussion is called a data talk. It helps students ask questions about the data they see around them and embrace not knowing everything.
It is a part of Youcubed, a data science course created by Stanford University. Schools all over the US are starting to use Youcubed and similar classes in their maths lessons.
Many teachers are worried about the high number of students failing in regular secondary-level maths classes. Some have turned to these new programmes that try to make maths more enjoyable.
But while the approach has good intentions, many believe it is lowering standards. They say important maths concepts are often left out and students miss out on the strong skills they need for harder classes later.
