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Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RamenAddict
I worked in social services previously. We had to use algebra all the time to work with budgets, but some people were awful at it. Workers had to constantly double check to make sure the inputs and results were accurate. Other real life applications are home improvement projects- like needing to buy flooring taking into account the size of the room, loss with various cuts/expected waste, and need for some excess. I was watching some YouTube video recently where a woman was trying a celebrity diet and she was trying to convert her mL container into ounces and failed miserably. Her husband came into the video and thought it was hilarious.
FWIW, I used to be an English teacher and I absolutely did try to find real-world applications of concepts in literature, as did my English teachers.
JMO,
Teaching and teaching math is more of a language (communications) problem than a concept problem.
Good for you.
Same for English (communications), Mostly a communications issue, after that English Literature becomes a philosophical/interpretation concept.
No accelerated math until 11th grade? That's ridiculous.
Education's job is to be tailored to the student. Some are ready for calculus in 9th grade, others only get as far as algebra. We all have different aptitudes.
No accelerated math until 11th grade? That's ridiculous.
Education's job is to be tailored to the student. Some are ready for calculus in 9th grade, others only get as far as algebra. We all have different aptitudes.
They're pushing kids to get more immersed in data science, computing, and modeling from an earlier age. That takes away time to do try to AP in calculus and algebra which many kids do to get out the freshman-sophomore requirements in college.
The Fox thing is as usual hysterics. They can probably move things around so a kid can take AP earlier in high school. It would make more sense to take them their junior and senior years so the material is more recent when they start the next level math courses.
I would never recommend to someone to quit high school and attend a community college for their junior and senior year. I picked up a political science degree and teaching certificate after I retired. I took three classes online at a community college. They were a joke. I had to post on online discussion boards with CC students who were almost illiterate. There are areas where community colleges make sense. They are not a replacement for real college courses.
To take that a step further, I live in a town with a large university. Students can take college classes at the local college and get credit. Most of these classes will not be on the same level as AP classes offered at the local high school.
When you compare community college content to high school, you have to take into consideration the level of the high school offering. Most AP level classes at a good high school are taught at a high level. Accelerated classes may or may not be taught at a high level depending on the school. Most community college classes are taught a average or below average high school level. They are meant for students who struggled to get through high school.
In New York, the community colleges teach real college courses. I've enjoyed my community college courses taken for fun. Thankfully, I didn't have online discussion boards. Kids' chatspeak which would drive me crazy too.
A couple of reasons for quitting high school for community college:
1) If someone has a long college road ahead, it makes sense to start earlier.
2) If someone is more serious than their high school peers.
There is anti intellectualism in many high schools. Very smart and articulate girls are praised, boys not so much. If someone does not have a local private school or can't afford it, it would be better to go to a community college. It's easier to navigate the drinking, drugs and drama at a community college than in a high school.
BTW:
1) This semester, my son is in a graduate school statistics course. No calc needed.
2) It's New York as well as Virginia.
Quote:
Eight specialized high schools in New York City currently offer admission to students based on the score on the SHSAT.
These schools are: Staten Island Technical High School in New Dorp; Stuyvesant High School; Bronx High School of Science; Brooklyn Latin School; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College; High School for American Studies at Lehman College; and Queens High School for Sciences at York College
The City is planning on cancelling the admission test because its racist.
Quote:
There were 27,831 students across the city who competed for seats at the city’s specialized high schools in 2020, according to DOE numbers. Across the city, 4,265 students received offers.
Citywide last year, 4.5% of the offers went to black students, and 6.6% went to Latino students. Fifty-four percent of offers went to Asian students, 2.3% went to multi-racial students, 0.9% went to Native American students, and 25.1% went to white students, DOE data shows.
Yes, too many Asian families (who happen to be new immigrants) invest in tutoring for their children so too many Asians are attending specialized, math orientated high schools. Can't have hard work rewarded, can we?
What constitutes a "real-life problem" though? Can you give examples?
Pretty much no one "needs" to read Shakespeare or use Shakespearean era vocabulary and grammar at any point in their life, ever. Does that mean that Shakespeare has no place in an English curriculum?
I'll just say there is a problem when you have high school grads working as a clerk in a store or restaurant and they can't figure out how to make change. I know that's not exactly what you were speaking of, but there's an awfully lot of high level math taught in schools now that the vast majority of students will never use. On the other hand, a big part of learning is learning how to think, well beyond rote memorization.
Last week VA. Ed. types floated numerous, "math reform" trial balloons and got a lot of pushback.
It's obvious the graphic you posted above is A). legit B). was shown at most or all of the several VA. Ed. regional meetings last week C). would in fact severely limit accelerated math.
______________
This is exactly what VA is contemplating. It takes a good while to plow through this but it's very interesting.
No question there are a lot of good ideas. But at its center this is more sociology than math. They are proud that some colleges have eliminated college algebra as a core requirement for example.
As every K-12 system in the country has finite resources the notion that an interleaved math class progression may be installed and not limit advanced math choices seems impossible.
I'll just say there is a problem when you have high school grads working as a clerk in a store or restaurant and they can't figure out how to make change. I know that's not exactly what you were speaking of, but there's an awfully lot of high level math taught in schools now that the vast majority of students will never use. On the other hand, a big part of learning is learning how to think, well beyond rote memorization.
But isn't making change something like a 3rd grade problem? Why would high school math be worried about making change? That's what concerns me is we keep dumbing things down. If people are really unable to count change by high school, then should they not be kept back and instead focus high school math on those who are capable of doing it?
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