We're adding the basic math to course content. We put all freshmen
into my "Success Skills..." class, and I'm adding the math to that course
content next year. I'm going to use the fun, "Shop-'til-You-Drop" format
again, but it will be a class session. All the Nursing majors have to take
pharamcology their sophomore year. The pharmacology professor has to use up
her first two weeks of class making sure the students have mastered the
basic math before she gets into drug dosages--class time that should have
been devoted to pharm, but can't be. This year she's still giving
outside-class help in once-a-week group sessions on conversions at this
point in the semester.
Our initiatives seem to be working here; but in a liberal arts or
university setting, where some of the faculty don't even believe the
students need to learn to do basic math in their heads--if at all--it would
take a major overhaul of institutional philosophy to make sure all the
graduates could make informed purchasing decisions, make change and balance
their checkbooks without a machine. A high-school English and Social
Sciences teacher once told me she didn't mark off for spelling, grammar, or
punctuation errors in social science papers, because, after all, that wasn't
English class. I said, "Bonnie, I thought you taught them correct English
so they could use it correctly everywhere--not just in your class." She
looked stunned, and finally said, "I never thought of it that way before!"
Math thinking sometimes runs along the same lines. I've been told that it
is unrealistic to teach them to do math in their heads, because they will
never have to. For nurses, that is absolutely not true--and for me, as a
teacher, administrator, wife, mother, student, entrepreneur, etc., etc.,
etc., it hasn't been true, either. Our students are not the only ones who
need to be educated.
Linda
> ----------
> From: Rosemarie Woodruff[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
> Sent: Friday, March 31, 2000 2:52 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Traditional vs. reform math
>
> YUP. So what can we do?
>
> Rosie
>
>
> Rosemarie Woodruff
> Counseling and Student Development Center
> University of Hawaii-Manoa
> 2600 Campus Road, SSC 312
> Honolulu, HI 96822
> 808-956-6114
>
> The world is full of obstacle illusions.
> Grant Frasier
>
> On Thu, 30 Mar 2000, Mayfield, Linda wrote:
>
> > Assessment testing indicated our freshman nursing students needed help
> with
> > basic math skills. They can do algebra--they can't do fractions. They
> > can't do either one--or much of anything else mathematical-- without a
> > calculator. Last week I presented highly-promoted "fun" math workshops
> > entitled "Shop 'til You Drop" on two campuses and hardly anyone
> > came--follow-up indicated the students don't think they need math
> > refreshers. Of the five students who did come, one is on a full-ride
> > academic scholarship, with an ACT of over 30. She couldn't figure out
> > discounts on sale racks, or whether the per-can cost of Pepsi is lower
> at
> > 6/$1.99, 12/$2.99 or 24/$4.99, without a calculator. (She can, now.)
> > Another student couldn't do the math, because she didn't know her
> > multiplication tables--not at all. These are our future medical
> > professionals, who earned scores of 20-32 on their ACT tests, and
> graduated
> > from high school with at least a 3.0 in a college prep program, and knew
> > they needed help, and their peers don't think they even need help.
> Scary,
> > isn't it?
> >
> > > ----------
> > > From: Craig Andres[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Reply To: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
> > > Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 7:15 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Traditional vs. reform math
> > >
> > > I agree that it always comes down to the quality
> > > of the teachers. You are right that only about
> > > 1/6 of the students are coming in from a math
> > > reform program, but the other 5/6 are coming in
> > > with a strong background in calculator use, which
> > > some of those schools believe IS reform. Again, a
> > > good teacher will incorporate a calculutor the
> > > right way.
> > >
> > > By the way, I don't trust ACT or SAT scores to
> > > tell you anything about a students math ability.
> > >
> > > Eric Kaljumagi wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I never said not to teach the other 80%, they will still learn.
> > > >
> > > > They never did before. Your median high school graduate
> > > > took two years of "consumer" or general math and never
> > > > touched it again. The majority of American adults couldn't
> > > > calculate the interest on a loan if their lives depended on it.
> > > > A sizeable minority can't calculate a tip.
> > > >
> > > > >But if you don't meet the needs of the 10-15%, then you
> > > > >won't have as competent group of mathematicians and scientists
> > > > >in the future.
> > > >
> > > > True enough. If the reform movement takes over, I do wonder
> > > > how we'll serve the needs of graduate schools.
> > > >
> > > > What I found using CPM was that my top students suffered little.
> > > > They seemed to adapt by concentrating on the challenge problems
> > > > others wouldn't touch. As for their overall mathematical skills,.
> > > > perhaps they suffered a slight drop, but it certainly wasn't much,
> if
> > > > it existed at all. On the other hand, I did find the number of
> > > > students succeeding in class increase dramatically, and over 50% of
> > > > my high school's graduates took Algebra II while in high school.
> > > > Our average SAT scores went up slightly, yet far more students
> > > > took the test. More students also achieved recognition on the
> > > > Golden State Exam. To me, that's success.
> > > >
> > > > My hypothesis:
> > > >
> > > > Traditional math instruction has evolved to become the best and
> > > > most efficient means of educating those destined to become the
> > > > scientists and engineers of the next generation. Traditional
> > > > instruction is simultaneously a frustrating nightmare for most other
> > > > students.
> > > >
> > > > The reform movement of the 1980s and 1990s has attempted to
> > > > bring in other methodologies so as to serve other learning
> modalities.
> > > > The resultant body of curriculum is not as efficient a means of
> > > > transmission of knowledge, but appeals to a far wider range of
> students.
> > > >
> > > > Overall, I think that if reform math takes over, we will have a
> > > > significantly
> > > > better educated populace. The challenge is in preventing the elite
> from
> > > > receiving a weaker education.
> > > >
> > > > > The math being taught out there in the public schools is not
> strong
> > > > enough.
> > > >
> > > > It never is, is it? Seriously, however, this is another issue
> entirely.
> > > > If you
> > > > surveyed your feeder schools I'd be quite surprised if even 100 of
> your
> > > > 600
> > > > students was in a reform math program. Good teaching requires well
> > > > educated, well trained individuals with dedication to their
> profession
> > > > and
> > > > a good deal of autonomy to allow for innovation. I've met many such
> > > > high
> > > > school teachers, but there are also many marginal ones. So long as
> a
> > > > good
> > > > economy provides good paying jobs to new college graduates, a
> shortage
> > > > of excellent teachers will ensue. We've got to make do with what
> we've
> > > > got.
> > > >
> > > > Prof. Eric Kaljumagi
> > > > LAC/Math
> > > > Mt. San Antonio College
> > >
> > > --
> > > Craig Andres
> > > Director, Study Abroad and Tutor Program
> > > Kettering University
> > > (Continuing the GMI heritage)
> > >
> > > email: [log in to unmask]
> > > Phone: (810)-762-9642
> > > Fax: (810)-762-9505
> > >
> > >
> > > "We must look forward to the future as that is
> > > where most of us will be spending the rest of our
> > > lives." Charles Kettering.
> > >
> >
>
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