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Re: Supporting vs stifling curiosity

At 2:19 PM -0400 on 2/10/02, Chris Horton wrote
Chuck wrote:

> Abuse indicates that the 'instructor' is overly defensive re his ignorance.


From my limited observations of ninth grade science classes, reports
from my children on 5-9 sci classes and my own recollections, this
response is rampant in our public school systems.

My daughters flatly refused to let me teach them any physics. They
clearly stated their reason: they didn't want to know more than the
teacher; it would make her angry.


My own daughter was in seventh grade math class when she learned that
it is best to keep quiet at times. She came home quite excited about
actually learning something in math. The decimal fractions that 'keep
going on forever'. was the topic that piqued her interest.

I showed her a few 'tricks' like putting any number of digits over
the same number of nines to get 'the' decimal fraction that 'goes on
forever'.

She checked this out with a calculator and was quite amazed.

Then I went one step too far! I asked her what .9999 going on forever
would equal. She was quite willing to see that it equals ONE. and we
went through at least three simple algebra 'proofs' that were quite
within seventh grade reach. Add 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 in decimal notation
etc.

She went BALLISTIC!! and was quite eager to get to math class the
next day to show off her new 'tricks'.

Needless to say, her teacher was quite adamant that we were WRONG.
That the fraction .9999 going on forever DOESN'T equal one, it's
'just' real close. The algebra 'proofs' swung no weight with her.

She was quite dejected to come home that afternoon to report that her
teacher just 'didn't understand'.


Many students seem to loose their excitement about math and science
in junior high school. I wonder why?!
--

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Chuck Britton Education is what is left when
britton@ncssm.edu you have forgotten everything
North Carolina School of Science & Math you learned in school.
(919) 286-3366 x224 Albert Einstein, 1936