Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
Dear Colleagues,
While it would be nice if all eighth-grade students could master algebra, I think this is a very unrealistic goal. Algebra actually is a fairly abstract subject, if taught correctly, and many high- school students don't have the abstract reasoning skills necessary to understand the concepts.
These students would be better served, in my opinion, by math courses that are of a more practical nature.
The push for "algebra for everyone" comes from those who believe that everyone needs to have a college degree to be successful.
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu on behalf of Wes Davis
Sent: Thu 7/10/2008 10:13 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Ca mandates 8th-grade algebra test
and, because they have 'passed' Algebra I in 8th grade, they move through
the math classes in HS, arriving in AP Calculus operating on an Algebra I
level.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Yeend" <ryeend@sbcglobal.net>
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Cc: "Nancy Seese" <nancyseese@redshift.com>; "Sharing resources for high
school physics" <PHYSHARE@lists.psu.edu>
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 10:03 AM
Subject: [Phys-l] Ca mandates 8th-grade algebra test
As a high school math and science teacher, I think the push of
algebra into grade school is one of the major mistakes of education.
I once substituted a sixth grade standard math class in which the
topic for the week was algebraic inequalities - talk about absurd!
IMHO, this is the major reason so many students arrive at high school
functionally innumerate.
Bob Yeend
Justin-Siena H.S.
Napa, CA
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l