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Just because it's easy and simple to you doesn't mean everyone understands it. It's a shame how this country's education system is setup.
Give an example of someone using algebra ALL THE TIME.
Since everyone here seems to love trades as an example of what people can do without going to college, you would be hard pressed to find a master who does not use a form of algebra/trig in their daily work lives.
Since everyone here seems to love trades as an example of what people can do without going to college, you would be hard pressed to find a master who does not use a form of algebra/trig in their daily work lives.
My dad was both an English and History major, and was a teacher who switched careers and became a carpenter. He used algebra and trigenometry every single day while doing carpentry.
I am asking this in response to a recent controversy by some scholar in the NYTimes saying Algebra might be dropped as a requirement to graduation. I think, in the US, some twenty five percent of ninth graders do not complete high school and the biggest stumbling block is algebra.
I remember being told by my instructors that high school is a general preparation for going further in life and many people change majors in college and change vocations later in life. They said you never really know what you will require in your future.
I, personally, believe that math studies train the mind into critical thinking. They help us to look more deeply for the truth and to not be swayed as easily by sweeping generalities.
My husband is an artist. He has used his early geometry in some of his works. I had an esoteric ailment, caught during traveling I believe, that was not adequately treated by six local physicians. I ultimately treated myself and it took a refresher of my high school math knowledge to figure out how.
So, I believe that my early teachers are correct, that you never really know what you will find useful later in life.
I think algebra should be continued to be taught.
I think I could have lived without knowing French, but also wish I would have been taught that earlier, when my mind was more open to a foriegn language.
I think scientific knowledge is growing in leaps and bounds and the understanding of we in the general public, of these things, is being left way behind.
My feeling is that high school should also prepare us, as much as possible, to be self sufficient. I know that I did not balance a checkbook or set a budget or know about personal investing or setting up a basic garden or know the fundamentals of plumbing and wiring in a house. Fundamentals in personal and family dynamics would probably come in handy.
Perhaps high school should be extended for a year so that people can learn these skills, as well.
I find this interesting because graduation rates go up if you require 4 years of math to graduate. I think kids should take algebra and geometry and two other math classes to graduate. One option could be algebra taught as a two year course instead of a one year course for those who struggle with math.
I agree on foriegn languages. They should be taught in elementary school and our kids should have to learn two to graduate. One in elementary school (the school would pick the language here) and one in middle/high school. We live in a global economy and speaking more than one language can be the difference between having a job and not having one. I've missed out on two teaching jobs and three engineering jobs because I do not speak a second language. I'm going to start learning Spanish in January (I have some classes to take to keep my teaching cert in September). Hopefully, two years from now, I can put down that I speak some spanish.
I'm thinking it's time to pull community colleged into our school districts and making an associates degree or, at least one year at a cc, part of the free education. This could be vocational or college prep. I would compare an associates degree now to a high school diploma in the '60's. Sadly, for the first time in our history, the generation entering the work force is less educated than the one leaving the work force even though more of them hold pieces of paper that say they graduated. Too many kids are pushed through and too many more fail to learn all they could. While our graduation numbers look good, we're failing to educate most of our kids.
I never could pass intermediate algebra myself (community college course) but I sure don't think it should be cut. Perhaps a high school diploma route only (basic/general math) vs the college route (algebra and other prerequisites to admission) can be offered but it will place some at a disadvantage if they take the easy way out then have to scramble to prepare for college AFTER graduating from high school.
I understand people need exercise but sports for everyone isn't the answer. Something as simple as logging so many miles per week walking the track should suffice. And all activity doesn't need to be done in school with it's limited hours either. If someone is involved in an activity outside of school (gymnastics, soccer, whatever) it could be used for credit to graduate. One of my kids took fencing lessons at the community college and the units were used for PE credit in high school. But if she had taken something outside the state school system, such as going to the fencing studio instead for lessons instead, she would not have received any credit. Maybe that should change.
How many people would want to exercise in between meetings at work, knowing that you would have to shower and change before continuing with your day? That's why PE doesn't work for older kids, a random 50 minute block of time stuck somewhere between 1st and 6th period doesn't encourage any kind of serious workout and is generally a wasted class anyway.
The foreign language requirement might be similar to the algebra requirement for college purposes. I get that knowing another language is an awesome thing but a random language taken for 2 years then forgotten is a waste of time IMO. If we are serious in this country we should have another language used from 1st grade on up.
I think algebra and geometry should still be required. You always say you don't need this stuff, but these are pretty basic and I think they're necessary. Here are two examples: I was trying to figure out a pricing structure based on a percentage of a certain product's price and how many products I needed to make a certain total price point. Algebra. And when I played on a pool league, playing pool is geometry and physics (although playing pool is not a necessary part of life, just a hobby).
I think English classes should be a lot different. Kids can read Cliff's Notes and get by. Do we really need to study Shakespeare? High school is not to become cultured, it's to gain knowledge you need for the real world and analyzing Macbeth is really not necessary to get by in life.
I think history is important, as boring as it may be. I actually think physical education should be extended for all four years in some form (at my high school 10 years ago, we stopped in 9th grade). I do believe the arts and different technical things should remain in place as electives. I think typing and computer classes (as electives) could probably be done away with at this point since kids know these things just through their personal lives.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I actually think it's not the classes or course selection that should change but maybe how it's taught. It should be more like college and life as you go up each grade, less hand-holding and more focus on doing things independently without the teacher and working as a team with peers. And more oriented toward the real world.
I don't know the answers but I do know that something needs to change b/c kids act like they are allergic to work these days.
I think math and analyzing literature teach a person critical thinking, to train the mind to look beyond the obvious, for hidden motivations and agendas. I think this serves us well in practically any profession.
The more you perform a certain mental function, like trying to solve something, the more easy those brain pathways are to access and that will serve you in non math or literature matters, as well. Language is supposed to stretch the thought process, too, and I just wish I were more proficient in language.
I also think, just because you are no good at a subject is no reason to want to pan it. What we do poorly in points to a personal defect of sorts and so it's something we should be practicing.
No it's not. The only math I took in college was calculus. "College algebra" is a remedial course when you enter college that you only take if you cannot score high enough on the placement test.
Well, I took two years of Algebra in high school. In college I took Calculus and Statistics. I think people were also asked to take Algebra in my college if they only had one year of it in high school.
I think foreign language instruction in this country is miserable for the most part.
-It's all kind of a data dump. They treat it like any other class. Read/learn the material, test. Rinse, repeat. Is that the best way to learn a language? Probably not.
If they were smart, they'd go back to the beginning, and you'd start understanding the root of words (i.e. what they do on the national spelling bee). You the viewer (you the student) should be able to follow along with the spelling bee contestant. If not, you're not being instructed properly, IMO.
I think you should get a big overview of core latin words and phrases, and different types of languages (i.e. romantic). Where does it all fit? Wouldn't that help you understand languages better? Then, how the brain works. Why isn't this covered at all in school?
Surely, there's a lot of research and data about how the brain works. You wonder why this isn't shared in a class like foreign language.
-Then, don't just pick abstract languages as electives. They should be tied into something bigger...i.e. where the economy is going globally. If we had 21st century schools, languages would be tied into economics, geopolitcs, industry/capitalism. Then you'd really understand it.
I took 2 years of french and 2 of spanish. Thought it was a complete waste of time. No context given. No information given on alternative ways of learning a language. Lazy, and not given a full effort IMO.
It seems like people around the world (esp in poor countries) learn languages much eaiser than the way we do it. How can a person in a poor country speak 2 or 3 languages, yet we struggle to teach 1?
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