Xref: utzoo comp.edu:1708 sci.math:5260 sci.physics:5344
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!killer!elg
From: elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green)
Newsgroups: comp.edu,sci.math,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Message-ID: <6578@killer.DALLAS.TX.US>
Date: 29 Dec 88 04:50:20 GMT
References: <605@ucrmath.EDU>
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 42

in article <605@ucrmath.EDU>, marek@ucrmath.EDU (Marek Chrobak) says:
> Xref: killer comp.edu:1858 sci.math:5231 sci.physics:5475
> a proof. In Herman's terms, the question WHY does not cross
> their mind. They just want to know HOW.
> 
> It would be silly to blame the students for this. This is the
> way they have been taught in school, it's no wonder this is
> what they expect from college. 

[ describes Polish elementary school math curriculum, where they start
at the bottom, with sets, and go on up from there]

Sounds like you're blaming the teachers. You shouldn't. They're doing
the best they can, with what little knowledge they have. Blame college
curriculums which do not include any "Basics of Mathematics" courses,
only tons of courses in equation manipulation (Algebra, Trig, and
sometimes Calculus if they're preparing for a career in science
education). I have always been uncomfortable with "black boxes", the
kind of kid who tore apart alarm clocks and lawnmower engines to see
how they worked, but whenever I asked my elementary teachers "why",
all they could do is shrug and say "because the book says so."
  
> this is all entertaining enough, so that even if it's
> not really fun, it's surely less boring that hundreds of additions
> and subtractions. I wonder what will they cover in her school later
> this year, will they teach numbers greater than 100, or start 
> multiplication? 

They should start teaching her basic multiplication at the end of the
2nd grade, if her curriculum is anywhere near the one I endured. Then,
during the 3rd grade, they'll make her memorize the multiplication
table, and work yet more arithmetic problems. In the fourth grade
they'll introduce division, and "fractions"....

Is it any wonder why your typical bright and impatient student hates
"math"? It's BORING!

--
Eric Lee Green    ..!{ames,decwrl,mit-eddie,osu-cis}!killer!elg
          Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 Lafayette, LA 70509              
Netter A: In Hell they run VMS.
Netter B: No.  In Hell, they run MS-DOS.  And you only get 256k.