Inequity in the Math Classroom
I had an experience last week which I just need to share; I’ll try to explain why.
One of my classes this semester is a “Math Lab” class in which we have no large group lectures; in fact, the class has students in 3 different courses. Students can work faster, and take tests when they are ready. The basic methodology involves students working problems in the online home systems.
The classroom used for this Math Lab class is clearly going to be different; we provide 10 computers (desk tops) in individual work stations around the wall. Students can also bring in their laptops and notebooks to use, at tables.
On this particular day, 16 students were in this class. Six of the students were minorities (african american in this case), and the other 10 were majority (white). That is not unusual.
What was unusual is the classroom geography. Every one of the minority students was at one of the computer work stations; every one of the majority students was at a table using a laptop or notebook.
This separation speaks to inequities — the minority students lacked the resources of their own, so were using the provided computers. For the work being done, the computers were adequate … but the difference bothers me quite a bit.
Students with a portable device can move with their computer; they can socialize in different ways, and they can bring their computer to me with a question. Students using our computers do not have those choices.
You might be thinking … “so, provide laptops instead of the desk top computers”. Sure, we could do that (we’ve been trying). However, it still bothers me: when a category of student tends to lack a resource, students in that category face additional challenges to completion.
I understand that the causes for this inequity are complex (employment, wages, and financial aid … as starters). I understand that the situation is “not my job” as a math teacher. Those facts do not change the moral dilemma: a category of students face additional barriers.
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Student Success & Support | Jack Rotman | 
February 9, 2015 5:22 pm
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Jack Rotman
NOTE: This blog will become 'inactive' on January 1, 2020.
By Kenneth Tilton, February 9, 2015 @ 7:25 pm
Wow, it must have been tough having that manifested so jarringly. Did the kids seem to pick up on it?
Another good example of social circumstances not stopping at the school door. If we want better schools for those less well off we better think about more than just the schools.
By Jack Rotman, February 10, 2015 @ 9:32 am
The students did not indicate any awareness; that’s probably best (in terms of not disrupting the learning environment). I’d be relieved, though, if one of the students said something.