Re: math skills, was Proper scientific notation

[Jerome Epstein <jerepst@worldnet.att.net>]

GARY HEMMINGER wrote:
>
  Many of our average
> tenth graders are totally dependent on calculators (only 1/3 of
> them could do .6/.2  without a calculator on
> a recent test).  Their algebra skills are dismal, and their
> resourcefulness in problem solving, notwithstanding the school's PR
> that we are emphasizing problem solving skills, is nonexistent.
If you want to make your faculty and administration see the reality, I
suggest giving my diagnostic test to a sample of your 12th graders. The
first half of the test contains questions which should be easily
solvable by a competent 8th grader, the second half contains algebraic
questions all but 3 of which should be answerable by anyone who has
passed first year algebra, the remaining 3 questions involve: basic
concept of a logarithm, concept of a function and graph of a function.

If you'd like to receive a copy of the report on this test (It has been
given now at about 20 institutions [high school and college] and to well
over 1000 students), please let me know, and let me know if you have
Microsoft WORD. The test has been a major eye-opener everywhere it has
been given. Of course, the reality rarely prompts any appropriate
action.

> At this point my question is really what can I do about this in my
> room with my kids, since at this school at least, the math teachers
> basically don't want to hear about these problems.  (This is despite
> the fact that we have a highly touted curriculum which purports to
> integrate math and science.)

> Does any one have suggestions?  Are there any sets of review sheets
> for example, that would be appropriate for the skills needed in an
> algebra based introductory course?

The evidence is now overwhelming that band-aid remedial approaches to
this issue are not effective. If a school really wants to make a
difference (and usually they don't, no matter what the PR is), a
substantial commitment is necessary. It is also abundantly clear, from
two decades of research at least, that hands-on, laboratory approaches
to basic quantitative skills are far more effective, although a more
interactive, participatory approach to lecture-type math classes is
helpful as well. However, IF THE SCHOOL WILL NOT GO BACK AND MEET THE
STUDENTS WHERE THEY REALLY ARE (and you will find that many of them lost
all comprehension in the 4th grade), NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!

There are programs that have a track record and can really make a
difference. You might look at my paper in JCST (December '97), or I can
send this online as well.

Jerry Epstein