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[Phys-L] Re: student mathematical capability



"... however, none would say they are comfortable enough to teach a word
problem." [PS]

"


"> It is probably true that conditions vary from place to place, but I
am most worried about Peter's last sentence above. Does even the
CBEST test adequately for that skill?" [HH]


Very much so. I remember there were many of them. I can't find my test
prep. book, so I write the URl for a diagnostic test from a site that
sells test prep.


http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/algebra2.htm


Notice # 13 involves that dreaded Greek theorem.


bc, who didn't find the test duck soup. [somewhat more difficult than
the diagnostic and much longer.]


Hugh Haskell wrote:

At 21:47 -0400 9/14/05, Peter Schoch wrote:

There is nothing more frightening than watching a room full of 5th
grade teachers NOT be able to solve a simple fractions problem! When
posed with a word problem, I thought some would flee in terror,
exclaiming that they never liked or understood those in school.
After three 8 hour long sessions, the facilitator reports that most
feel reasonably sure of the basic concepts and could teach them;
however, none would say they are comfortable enough to teach a word
problem.


and then bc responded with:


I rather doubt the above refers to California credentialed teachers, as
they must pass the CBEST to be fully credentialed. The maths. section
is not trivial; I know.


It is probably true that conditions vary from place to place, but I
am most worried about Peter's last sentence above. Does even the
CBEST test adequately for that skill? I see the problem as a
lingering lack of understanding about just how important it is that
students be taught properly from the beginning. We have too long
labored under the misapprehension that in the early grades the main
thing the kids are learning is discipline and a few very basic
things, so the teacher doesn't need to know much herself (and the
vast majority of them are women), and we can expect them to be
generalists who know enough about all the curricular topics to be
able to teach them.

We now know that this is a serious error, especially in math and
science, and I suspect in other fields as well. Teachers whose
knowledge of a given topic is minimal tend to transmit to their
students only disconnected facts, since that is mostly all that they
know. They don't see the structure of the subjects, their
cut
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