NorthStar Math is an initiative to encourage healthy learning techniques in young students. The traditional Korean methods of learning math include unthinking memorization and endless cramming. This technique is implemented by most public Korean schools, and also by schools all over the globe. Not only does this method induce stress, but it also prompts students to develop dislike towards math, or “give up” on it, as many Koreans put it.

NorthStar Education aims to distance learning from these traditional techniques, and instead strives towards a healthier and more holistic approach. In our Exploratory sessions in the Village School, our student teachers use worksheets that follow the investigation format. Through implementing critical thinking and various approaches to a topic with general guidance, students learn to discover mathematical concepts on their own. After individual thinking sessions, the student teachers host round-table discussions, also known as the Harkness method, which creates an environment where students can freely share their own approaches and engage with the ideas of their peers.