 Gleason was part of the School Mathematics Study Group , which helped define the New Math of the 1960s — ​ ​ ambitious changes in American elementary and high school mathematics teaching emphasizing understanding of concepts over rote algorithms . Gleason was " always interested in how people learn " ; as part of the New Math effort he spent most mornings over several months with second @-@ graders . Some years later he gave a talk in which he described his goal as having been : 
