Posted on 11/06/2021 6:49:09 AM PDT by devane617
California Tries to Close the Gap in Math, but Sets Off a Backlash Proposed guidelines in the state would de-emphasize calculus, reject the idea that some children are naturally gifted and build a connection to social justice. Critics say math shouldn’t be political.
But ever since a draft was opened for public comment in February, the recommendations have set off a fierce debate over not only how to teach math, but also how to solve a problem more intractable than Fermat’s last theorem: closing the racial and socioeconomic disparities in achievement that persist at every level of math education.
The California guidelines, which are not binding, could overhaul the way many school districts approach math instruction. The draft rejected the idea of naturally gifted children, recommended against shifting certain students into accelerated courses in middle school and tried to promote high-level math courses that could serve as alternatives to calculus, like data science or statistics.
The draft also suggested that math should not be colorblind and that teachers could use lessons to explore social justice — for example, by looking out for gender stereotypes in word problems, or applying math concepts to topics like immigration or inequality.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Math is not a natural language, like English, Spanglish and Ebonics, that children can pick up through social interaction. Math needs to be learned and requires daily effort and yes, lots of homework. You can't pick up the math book for the first time the night before a big exam and expect to do well.
Calculus comes well after algebra. Very few take calculus at all, and very, very few take it in high school. In the 70s, in a high school with 3500 students, my calculus class had 12 students.
And yes, we SHOULD encourage those with gifts in a subject - be it math or history - to advance as far as they can. As the saying goes, you can’t get taller by cutting others off at the knee. No POC - or perhaps, since Asians often excel at math, I should be HONEST and say no blacks - get smarter by holding other people back! And how racist is it to suggest blacks can’t learn math? Had a black co-worker with a master’s degree in accounting. I’ve worked with black engineers.
NOT ALL BLACKS ARE GHETTO BLACKS! More than anything else, it is the ghetto culture and government (and liberal) contempt that hold blacks back.
Almost no one needs to DO math now, but a huge part of our future depends on having SOME people who genuinely UNDERSTAND math. And we won’t be able to identify and support those geniuses unless we encourage interested students to explore math.
Our civilization depends on our cultivating the very smartest among us, to achieve their full potential, so that we produce lots of leading-edge technology. Otherwise some other country will reduce us to a vassal state.
Math grades are irrelevant since soon your phone will be able to solve any equation for you. Then math racism will be a thing of the past.
If one doesn’t know math, how can that person put in the equation to be solved?
I know several black people with advanced STEM degrees, and they all have two things in common: (1) They were born in Africa or the Caribbean or they are first generation American born to parents born in Africa or the Caribbean (who act like real parents); and (2) they don't have a lot of respect for blacks who spend generations in the welfare system and blame others for their failure to take advantage of education and advancement opportunities.
“Almost no one needs to DO math now . . .”
A view shared by most in Congress. They vote to spend trillions when they should be debating millions.
Those zeros have meaning and need understanding.
> would de-emphasize calculus <
While agreeing with your comment that calculus is not so necessary, I found that when I took calculus, I really, really learned algebra. When I took Physical Chemistry, I really, really learned calculus. Then these capabilities become integrated into one’s view of reality and, without realizing it, help one to understand what is observed.
In my mind, the most valuable math-type class is statistics. So many frauds are pulled on people by lying with statistics.
> reject the idea that some children are naturally gifted <
Wow! We see the ignorance of the politicians in this comment. They are saying that no-one is a genius. But... Five year olds are composing complicated musical compositions, for example; other five year olds are making change playing Monopoly. I have observed these minds to be especially gifted, the mind of a/an: musician, artist, engineer, mathematician. (These are the really creative types.) Both the needy and the gifted should be accommodated with an appropriate educational opportunity.
Mathematicians have, for decades, struggled with the premise that all students should be able to learn mathematics. Reality is that only a few excel. But the mathematicians can’t live with that.
There was only one Mozart, Bach, Beethoven... one von Braun, one Einstein, one Newton... Plus a number not as gifted. Where would civilization be without the gifted.
I agree that mathematical language is different than spoken languages, but it is still a language used to express concepts. Even spoken languages are used by most people without regarding underlying principles of grammar and linguistics, although there are scholars who spend their careers understanding them.
She didn’t pay her Pimp!!
So you have to subtract the ER cost for the lip stitches and the brain scan.
Oh wait, that gets paid by the taxpayers.
Never mind.
This is what I tried to use; If a school can offer varsity sports, it should also offer varsity (honors) academics. (Freeper Leaning Right , 11/6/21)
It gets better.
Studies have shown that language has a large effect on ones ability to learn arithmetic. Chinese, in particular, uses single syllable words to represent zero to 9. As a rule Chinese children learn arithmetic fast and it stays fast throughout their lives. Some cultures and languages do not have words for numbers above three - one, two, three, many ...
So if California is serious about using real world examples, how about by stating that Asian cultures have an advantage in math - just because they are Asian? Or that stereotypes exist because that is how people really are, when using broad brushes?
No, California authorities will continue to push the pablum that everyone is equal, and destroying kids that try to excel in spite of their teachers.
Lol......nails it.
“If one doesn’t know math, how can that person put in the equation to be solved?”
Take a picture. There will be an app for that.
Apologies.
Working from home is the future of employment and education, and home can be on a mountain lake, or on the other side of the planet, far from civilization collapse. Working from home is a learned skill, and like everything, takes practice and getting used to. The future workforce must acclimate to doing homework from an early age.
> Your quote is now my new tagline. <
Thanks for touching base. You can get a lot of interesting ideas from browsing Free Republic. For example, I took my current tagline from another Freeper’s post. I guess that was about a month ago.
As Bruce Lee said, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not.”
Liberals will say that all are equally qualified to build bridges and airplanes.
And....if you don't think that then you're racist.
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