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Are you a MATH HATER? Gov. Brown Forgives & Defends you! Enter; Ca. Senate Bill 1200-Loni Hancock
Feb, 9, 13 | Bill Evers & Ze'ev Wurman via SanRafaelBlue

Posted on 02/09/2013 2:59:19 PM PST by San Rafael Blue

Guess What? I'm not a genius. Let's get that subjectivity out of the way. I was never a good math student back in the 70's, but, I struggled through, sometimes surprising myself with successful comprehension. I have great respect levened with healthy envy for those who are fluent in 'The Maths'.

I loved, and still do love words or visual art when used to express, speculate or elucidate. With that disclaimer, I must now express concern over the further lowered standards now being set into place by the 'Honorable(?) Gov. Jerry Brown in Ca. The legislative tool is Senate Bill 1200, promoted by Loni Hancock, California Dem.

The standards are now rolled back to acceptable levels of long ago. Why was this done? Well, because so many ,SO MANY little kids either could not or would not pass their math tests. It was making the highly esteemed school system (read union captains and paid off admin.) look bad, even FEEL bad. So obviously, draconian changes in the dynamics, in the dogma are now justified, perhaps even obligatory and patriotic!

I empathize with those who stay away from math, in all it's icky, tricky, fool-exposing forms. I understand the perils and the risks. I also know our way of life will increasingly depend on people who are able to navigate the numbers. So the question remains. How do we inspire more children and former children to get a better grip on basic math such as Algebra or Geometry? I can only say that main way I justified becoming the Artful Dodger back in High School, and avoiding as many math classes as possible (and still graduating at 17 years old), was to say "This schoolroom Math is NOT going to be relevant to my life once I escape the confines of High School. To a large extent, I was correct. However, I have limited myself.

Nowadays, I try to take online courses to get better. I think the only time I have ever 'enjoyed' math was back in the 80's when I wished to learn how to sell stocks and mutual funds. Back then, one needed to earn a Series 7 license. Some people will immediately know what I'm talking about. I never did earn my Series 7 license, but I did enjoy learning about puts and margin calls, and ways to secure gold future options.

But the question remains, how can we make math matter to these school kids who don't naturally 'take to the deep waters' of mathmatics?


TOPICS: Education; Society
KEYWORDS: arth; california; jerrybrown; lonihancock; mexico
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To: dr_lew

Thanks for the Hersh link. Especially enjoyable was the dialogue with Laura. (I always had to put forth a lot of effort in math—some of us have faulty hard wiring.)


21 posted on 02/09/2013 7:25:52 PM PST by Silentgypsy (If you love your freedom, thank a vet.)
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To: Tzar

Hi Tzar, Allow me to refer you to a clear and concise online source that explains this better than I could;
ED SOURCE, dated 9/5/12, written by John Fenstervald.

If I have the correct understanding, this bill 1200 mainly effects children in 6th and 7th grades. It’s approval will stop the teaching some of introductory courses to Algebra 1.

These introductory courses, or pre-algebras are actually duplicates, redundant courses, which mirror what is taught (and required) in the 8th grade. The presumption since the 1990’s has been that its’ wise to teach these basic algebraic skills to students as young as possible, in order to prepare them for the ‘rigors’ of their 8th grade tasks.


22 posted on 02/09/2013 8:05:59 PM PST by San Rafael Blue
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To: 353FMG; dr_lew

Why should anything be divided in eight parts? Can’t they keep it simply as a whole? Life is difficult enough.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Wow! ( sigh!)


23 posted on 02/09/2013 8:09:30 PM PST by wintertime
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To: wintertime

You didn’t read his tagline, I’ll bet.


24 posted on 02/09/2013 8:56:56 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: dr_lew

Thanks for the warning. No, I did not read the tagline.


25 posted on 02/09/2013 9:21:13 PM PST by wintertime
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To: San Rafael Blue
Who needs math for the workforce?


26 posted on 02/09/2013 10:30:50 PM PST by TotusTuus
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To: Silentgypsy

This was one of two books ( I forget the other ) that I recommended some fifteen years ago, I think, to my public library that they purchase, via a standard form they had, and they got both of them!

Well, I remembered “Reuben” when I did a search, but I didn’t remember Laura. So, thanks for mentioning her. I note that in the dialogue, Laura toes the canonical line, and it is the author that blows the circuit.

Naysayer that I am, I think he’s peddling sophistry.


27 posted on 02/09/2013 10:59:45 PM PST by dr_lew
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To: TotusTuus

Buns and Burgers! A very creative Equivalency Chart. I like it. Many of us in WhoVille continue to think in terms of hieroglyphics anyway.


28 posted on 02/10/2013 1:57:56 AM PST by San Rafael Blue
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Comment #29 Removed by Moderator

To: wintertime

Yes (sigh), and it gets even worse when they start didviding things into 16 parts.


30 posted on 02/10/2013 4:30:06 PM PST by 353FMG ( I refuse to specify whether I am serious or sarcastic -- I respect FReepers too much.)
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