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[Phys-L] Re: student mathematical capabilities

"My principal opbjections to the standards are twofold:
1. I think that they lack a common theme. Just as the camel is a horse
that was designed by a committee, ..."

Bad metaphor, the camel is a very well designed animal, especially for
it's resident environment. It has a common theme; survival in a
difficult environment. It's filled an environmental nitch so well that
it has no competitor. It's even acquired a protector, Arabs.

http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Animals/Animals.html

bc

Jack Uretsky wrote:

Hi all-
John's son has evidently received a wonderful present. He has
been given the opportunity to do what many of my most gifted colleagues
have donehttp://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Animals/Animals.html, which is to take responsibility for his own learning. If he
takes advantage of this opportunity he will not be like that lackadaisical
st
cut

gebra. That's what the shouting is about.
Now my comment on the NCTM "Standards".

The NCTM "Standards" are much more than precatory statements. The
book is full of examples for different examples for use in teaching the
different topics at the various grade levels.

My principal opbjections to the standards are twofold:
1. I think that they lack a common theme. Just as the camel is a horse
that was designed by a committee, the standards seem to reflect
compromises inserted at verious stages to please competing interests.
2. It misses the whole point of mathematics as far as I am concerned.

cut

The question that arose, which I have tried to answer, was: are there
existing standards? My answer is, yes, but they aren't much help to the
teachers of science.
Regards,
Jack




___________________________________________________________________________


On Tue, 20 Sep 2005, John M Clement wrote:


The standards basically have little effect on the quality of teaching.
However they do have an effect on how much "stuff" is stuffed into
the curricula. In reality the average physics course is about as well
cut