re: a slightly . . .

["Rauber, Joel Phys" <RAUBERJ@mg.sdstate.edu>]

I rather like what Roger wrote regarding this topic and agree.  I also agree 
with the comments of Rick, concerning the holy grail of development of 
conceptual understanding in the high schools.

Beth wrote

> I agree with Roger that forcing a depth vs. breadth choice
>         might not be the way to ask the question, but I'll comment
  >        anyway.

I didn't mean to be posing the question as an either/or question; to my mind 
depth vs. breadth is a continuum not at binary state system.  We all 
ultimately have to make a choice of where on the continuum to teach our 
courses taking into account factors like, what will the next instructor 
expect the students to have seen, what the students future profession will 
have expected them to have seen, time available to cover topics, background 
of students, our own position philosophically regarding this issue (which 
naturally brings in factors that Dewey thinks about) etc etc

Joel