originally posted by: TycoonBarnaby
a reply to: Aazadan
My issue with common core is that it is one step further towards making teachers into robots. Many teachers I used to work with already are. The idea
that every student in every school receives the same education is only possible to attain if they force teachers down to the lowest common
denominator.
I've got a bit of a mathematics aptitude myself. As a kid I was labeled a math genius but that wasn't really true, I just had some very good teachers
who explained things in a way where I was able to instantly understand them and I can compute in my head very fast. I can really only speak for
myself here but I've found most math classes to be a bit dry. They teach a person how to manipulate and determine numbers but they don't really teach
you how to use that. You have word problems in books, but since when are those problems realistic or applicable to the person using the book? I
would love to see less time spent on teaching math and more time spent actually using math. I think that would improve scores a lot because it would
suddenly be interesting.
For an example, lets take matrix transforms. You can show people how to use them, or you can create a dataset and build a social network analysis out
of that data and show what data is related to what other data. Take the idea from
kieranhealy.org... That is so much more interesting than simply having a person
multiply two matricies together to get a result.
originally posted by: Annee
And my youngest, the 6 year old. High functioning/autistic behavior, taught himself to read at age 3.
I too taught myself to read young, I don't know the exact age but by age 3 back in 1985 I was able to use my dads fancy computer as well as the modem
to go online and read/sometimes post on BBS's. The reading comprehension portions of standardized tests (never scored below 99 percentile on any)
always seemed to me like a joke. It wasn't until after I was an adult and found out that people really can't comprehend the things they read that I
realized those tests weren't just free points. I imagine it's the same for your grandson... I always found the books I had to read bland. Your
grandson is still a few years away but I remember the first book I actually enjoyed reading in school and it was Animal Farm in 9th or 10th grade. I
liked it so much that it was a 10 week assignment and I had finished the book by the second night. Then I read it again. Huck Finn, Brave New World,
Nineteen-Eighty-Four, those books were all torture to me (though I like 1984 these days). That's the problem with reading at a higher level, a lot of
books just come across as bland. Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm, and a few others were the only ones I actually enjoyed, and as a result the only ones
I read critically.
So far, you've shown a single focus on math. Not everyone has an aptitude for math. Or even cares.
I believe those who seek that focus will find the advanced education they desire.
Math is a very important thing to know. Not all fields need it but the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and simple algebra
are common place enough in life that a person should know them. If you want to be a construction contractor you need geometry and trig, if you want
to program computers you need trig and calculus, if you want to sit in business administration you need to know how to set up algebra problems.
My feeling on the subject is that we should keep the goals of math up to about 8th grade the same as they are now. Once people get into high school
we can start filtering them based on likely jobs and get more specific each year. Maybe Freshman year divides you into categories like trades,
technology, artist, or athelete.
The tradespeople get algebra with a focus on memorizing specific formulas, materials analysis, types of trades, and shop time to try pipefitting,
carpentry, plumbing, automotive repair, and all the rest. so they can move on to something more specific.
The technology people get some basic computer usability classes, an introduction to simple regex, frontend/backend database/spreadsheets, some
programming, networking, and diagnostics. Their math could be algebra with a focus on figuring out how to set up the needed equation.
The artists get to try several styles from writing, painting, conducting, and all the rest. Art requires a broad approach in order to really figure
out your technique. It could be 2d drawing, it could be 3d modeling, or it could be photography. Their math classes would involve understanding a
predefined logic system, and manipulating it for the correct output. Basically they would be given the problem and have to solve it but unlike for
the tradespeople it's not about the answer but rather the logic system in how you've arrived at your answer.
Athletes I don't know enough about to comment on.
Anyways those suggestions would be say 9th-10th grade. Then you could get more specific, and by the time you graduate you have a reasonable level of
job skills. I hope this makes sense to more than just me.
edit on 13-11-2014 by Aazadan because: (no reason given)