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Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 21:17:03 -0500
Reply-to: phys-l@mailer.uwf.edu
From: Jerome Epstein <jerepst@worldnet.att.net>
To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu
Subject: Re: Ideocosmology
In response to Richard Hake's comments:
I spoke to a supervisor at City College in this TOC
program, saying that we wouldn't dream of sending someone
with a 4th grade reading level in to teach elementary
school, but we send teachers with a fourth grade math
level in to teach elementary school all the time. The
supervisor replied (roughly) as follows: That is because
large parts of the education establishment, from the
Ph.D.'s on down, are math phobic.
Gang:
It may be that I should have sent this to Jerry by private
e-mail, but I thought others might like to see the message.
In particular, Jerry states that "cute" little courses in
"remedial algebra" will not cure the problem, BUT it can be
cured. Does the cure lie in other kinds of "remedial
courses"? or does it lie in requiring that students have a
certain level of understanding before they are admitted to
college? Of course, we would all like to see the students
be successful, BUT what can we do to help the poorly
prepared to catch up? Maybe the only thing that will help
is to start working to improve the secondary schools.
Maybe we need to try to help some of our struggling
secondary-school teachers with some ideas and short
in-service courses at the universities.