Social discussion of CS in K-12

["Reese, George Clifford" <reese AT illinois.edu>]

Meaningful is the key, I believe.

I think the history of the mathematics sequence we have comes from a time when math was a filter for the few, elite college-bound. A mathematics that is a pump for everyone is going to look different. I’m with Hacker, I think, in the belief that the Algebra II stuff is from an era of student filtration not inspiration. Here’s a table of contents from a book found on a google search: http://goo.gl/m7739

Which of these topics is used by a successful citizen on a reasonably frequent basis? Or take a look at this test: http://goo.gl/wRWyYd

I find it interesting, because I’m from the fixed-mindset, high school math teacher background. But normal humans would find it useless.

Question #10 makes a half-hearted attempt at relevance, but it feels pretty forced to me.

On the other hand, statistics is very relevant just for reading the paper or the blogs.

 

George

 

From: ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [mailto:ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] On Behalf Of Minsoo Park
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 11:56 AM
To: Pattsi Petrie
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] Looking for a professional opinion: "Down with Algebra II"

 

I agree with Kathleen and P2. 

Content is a secondary issue. It's what's being dictated and overpowered by curriculums that drives instruction further away from providing opportunities to think logically, process it, and produce in a meaningful way.

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Sincerely,

Minsoo Park

 

Enrichment teacher

Kenwood Elementary School

Email: parkmin@u4sd.org 

Phone: 217.351-3815

 

No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.

- Einstein

 

On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 10:09 AM, Pattsi Petrie <pattsi2 AT gmail.com> wrote:

Just a macro thought--is not the educational goal is to teach people how to think logically? If my assumption has merit, then that is a missing ingredient in Hacker's book. And I might be very tempted to argue that these courses in math are secondary to accomplish logic thinking compared to philosophy and logic.

And from where I presently sit in my community role, there is a massive lack of the ability to think and argue logically.

Just an aside--I used Hacker's boo, Two Nations: Black and White, in social planning class for years.

P2

 

On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 9:59 AM, Charles Schultz <sacrophyte AT gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for sharing that video, George - interesting comparison between Latin and Algebra. :)

 

How do we determine what people need? How do you balance that against what they want?

 

On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 8:45 AM, Reese, George Clifford <reese AT illinois.edu> wrote:

This one is really making the rounds quickly. As did Hacker’s NYTimes editorial of a few years ago.

Peter Braunfeld, who I’m told is cited in Hacker’s book (I’m getting a copy), did a talk on Hacker’s editorial a couple years ago for us at MSTE.

https://goo.gl/oSA147

 

My own opinion is that a thoughtful reconsideration of the entire high school mathematics sequence is required.
Algebra, Statistics, and Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics makes much more sense for most students than the current sequence which is mostly a preparation for calculus that few people need to be productive, mathematically literate citizens.

 

George

 

From: ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [mailto:ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] On Behalf Of Charles Schultz
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 8:08 AM
To: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: [Ctrl-Shift] Looking for a professional opinion: "Down with Algebra II"

 

Good morning,

 

I am hoping to solicit professional opinions from practioners, educators and researchers. Having climbed (and struggled) through 4 years of college math classes that I have never ever used at all, what are the pros and cons of replacing the theory-heavy math classes with something a bit more practical, with an eye towards training democratic (lower case 'd') citizens?

 

re: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2016/03/algebra_ii_has_to_go.single.html

 

The author of the article, Dana Goldstein, is speaking mostly about Andrew Hacker's "The Math Myth", but also balances it out with a couple other opinions/theories as well. The ideas put forth by Ms. Goldstein resonated with my own experiences, so I am seeking other perspectives.

 

--

Charles Schultz

 

--

Charles Schultz

 

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--

Pattsi Petrie, PhD, FAICP
P2 Consulting
Champaign County Board, Chair , district 6,
Retired, Department of Urban and Regional Planning/DURP
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/UIUC
<mailto:pattsi AT uiuc.edu>

College of Fellows, American Institute of Certified Planners

Professional Education and Outreach Programs
Past Chair APA Planning Women Division  

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