Well, I've seen a lot of different math textbooks in the pre-algebra through calculus sequence over the past six years or so.
I have to say that I have nothing much to add to Val's detailed and (IMO) accurate assessment on the previous page. Just one thing, perhaps-- that I suspect that the distracting content is
intended to make such textbooks less threatening/intimidating to those children who have math phobia. Unfortunately, they also teach very little in the way of mathematics and numeracy, but they do not
frighten students with walls of text or pages filled with derivations.
{sigh}
I do think that
some things about modern pedagogy in mathematics COULD be very good. It is mystifying to me why it isn't a better state of affairs there, honestly. Because what was done in 1970
wasn't terribly effective for a huge segment of students who had learning challenges or differences, and the pedagogy exists (in spades) to
reach that segment now. Technology alone makes some things possible that used to be excruciatingly slow and laborious to implement. I have no idea why we've thrown the baby out along with the bathwater here, however.
But, I dispute that anything we might know about pedagogy has actually made it into most modern books. Plenty of old books are better than anything I've seen today for both high and average ability students.
