Posted on 03/28/2008 6:02:58 AM PDT by SE Mom
...So if our high school math and science scores are dropping, our children are dreading these classes, and we ourselves can barely go through the times tables, then why aren’t we demanding real tutelage in math and science? Why is it socially acceptable not to understand fractions, percentages, and exponents, not to mention basic science principles that don't change with time or opinion? One reason, I submit, is relativism.
~~ Relativism allows everyone to be right, and puts our feelings ahead of everything else. We all know that it is not fun to find out that we are wrong about something, but a part of growing up is learning to cope with this negative feeling and learn from the experiences of failure. It would seem that many people today, however, would prefer to shield themselves and their children from ever being wrong or from feeling that hurt. This is true on the Little League diamond, where every player now makes the team, and in the school classrooms, where every assignment is given a modification to make sure every student can easily get by.
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
~snip~
It also seems that children these days prefer not to study very much; I’m not sure if it’s because they are so busy with other things, or they just have been handed so much that the idea of hard work is foreign to them. But whatever the reason, it’s obvious to parents and teachers across America that kids aren’t putting in the effort to excel in math and science. One explanation may be because math and science generally demand specific solutions, meaning either a right or wrong student. So for a lot of kids who are scared to fail, or sadly even scared to try, math and science are just pushed away at all costs. Instead, more kids focus on subjects like History and English which tend to be more philosophical and interpretive which allows for more wiggle room and less hurt feelings...
~snip~
Children throughout the ages have prefered not to study. It's today's parents who prefer not to encourage their children to study and learn.
Hah! I know I rarely WANTED to do homework- but what I wanted was not the guiding force behind my family’s choices in raising me:) I did my homework, period.
[Odds are his first question will be, "Where do the batteries go?"]
LOL! I wonder if kids even have to deal with things like slide rules anymore.
Old fashioned device for converting logarythms to distance; people used to pay as much as two or three hundred dollars for them in the days when a new Porsche could be had for $3000.
Never saw that movie (way past the WD stage by then), but isn’t that Kurt Russel?
Yes.
Next, what about the Bell Curve?
How many children realistically have the IQ to take and pass Algebra? What is the cut off point on the Bell Curve? Obviously a certain number of children are incapable of learning it!
Also..., where is the cut off point on the Bell Curve where it is impossible to master the material in a typical high school program? Obviously, there will always be a certain number of children who are incapable of graduating from high school!
We have a choice:
1) A high school diploma has real meaning and a certain percentage of children will never earn one.
Or..
2) A high school diploma means nothing and everyone can get one.
Finally, I think every government teacher should be required to sit in the same math classes as math and science majors. They should be required to take and pass Calculus I. Yes, I know that most teachers do not need Calculus I for to do their jobs,,BUT,,,it would assure that they were smart enough to deserve a government paycheck!
All academically successful children are homeschooled or “after schooled”.
Yes, your parents made sure you did your homework. This where the **real** learning took place. The school sent home a curriculum and you did the assignments. Your parents made certain that you had a home that valued education.
That’s the problem with math class. There ARE right answers, and there are WRONG answers.
He misses 4 important points:
1) Too many government teachers are math phobic themselves.
2) Too many government teachers have never taken serious math in college.
3) Too many government teachers do not have the IQ to master math themselves. ( Their SAT, ACT, and GRE scores) are the lowest on campus.)
4) If a high school diploma is to have any value, a certain number of children on the low end of the Bell Curve MUST fail!
It’s a strange new world kids must contend with today. We had teachers who would not take “can’t” for an answer to hard math problems. My IQ was high and I excelled in History, Science and Grammar- but I had to take Algebra 3 times before I passed. Today I would probably be allowed to go to the next grade in spite of failing Algebra. It may sound strange to today’s students- but we weren’t ALLOWED to fail. Teachers and parents worked with us until we understood and learned.
Slide rules...
ebay ‘em!
:-)
I can't recall how much I paid for my Post Versatrig© in 1966. But making $2.25/hr (min wage) as a Draftsmen Trainee ('apprentice') I know it was a good part of my weekly take home pay.
I still have it, the Instruction Manual and Case too. All pristine condition. Turned out the simpler one sided, Post© model 1447 (Bamboo body) I had was adequate for most of my calcs then. Which btw is also in Pristine condition, its right in front of me now ;)
Both are prolly worth a pretty penny now.
Great article! I agree that math and science need to be sold to young people as important and positive things. From personal experience, I also encourage parents to remove some of that “over stimulation” sooner rather than later. I mean things like constant iPod use, cell phone and messaging overuse, too much TV and so on. It’s no wonder kids are having a tough time learning with all the junk information that goes into their little heads. ;-)
I do have a nit to pick with the article:
“Also, science tells us that it is impossible to hear a bullet, because they travel faster than the speed of sound.”
That is of course completely incorrect. The correct statement is “Also, science tells us that it is impossible to hear a high-power rifle bullet before it arrives, because they travel faster than the speed of sound.” Some bullets are subsonic, and you sure has heck can hear a supersonic bullet AFTER it goes by, they make a nice little sonic boom. ;-) Also, I think the writer was really talking about hearing the shot rather than hearing the bullet.
In addition to math and science, critical thinking is an important skill, and severely undertaught today. I think it’s for the same misguided “feel good” issues described in this article.
Go to this site, after viewing the intro, go to the trailer...
I don’t see our congress or presidential candidates addressing the problem with any credibility.
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