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Re:What to teach (was ...)

Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 20:31:28 -0600 (CST)
From: Tim Burgess <tburgess@JAGUAR1.USOUTHAL.EDU>
Subject: Re: What to teach (was: American students do poorly)

.. Our struggle is not with ill prepared students. The struggle is with a
system that does not recognize the need for widespread science and math
fluency. Colleges and Universities could require exposure to upper level
math and sciences and following this event the national k-12 system would
be revamped.

I want to confirm that physics (especially) provides opportunity for
students to learn how to discover. It provides a conceptual framework
for the mechanics of all the other sciences. Understanding the physics
of anything is something all students should have an opportunity to do.

Tim
*********************************************************************

We are only soldiers fighting (teaching) the best we can. The outcome
often depends on our efforts. But there are many strategic issues which
are essential, and over which we have no control.

Who are the generals? Why are they surprised by recent findings? When
was "The Nation at Risk" published? How many reports confirmed the
reality of the very sad situation in our schools?

About two weeks ago another "we will be the best in the world soon"
speach was widly publicized. Was it Clinton? "We have new cures, the
NSES, National Science Education Standards" and the "information
superhighway". (quoting from my impressions, not from the actual speach).
So I decided to look at the NSES. You can read the document at:

html://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/

Great ideas. The only trouble is that most of them are not new. Why
should I believe that ideas which did not work before will work now?
I was also looking for some criticism of existing practices. But I
was not able to find it. How can generals plan for a new battle (same
enemy, same soldiers) without a detailed analysis of previous defeats?

Donald S, are your old phys-L messages, about what is wrong, available at
your web site? If yes then please post the browsing address, some of us
may be willing to confront your observations with what is going on. I
think you did a great job in trying to identify causes of many defeats;
you should be in the educational pentagon. Yes, I know that such place
does not exist. But somebody is leading us to this "decisive battle".
The name "system", used by Tim, is probably more appropriate. Some people
refer to it as educational establishment.
Ludwik Kowalski