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Re.: 1 Year of Geometry
Posted:
Apr 11, 1995 12:49 AM
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On Thu, 6 Apr 1995, Linda Dodge wrote:
>
> Do we really need a full year of geometry, anyway?
>
I ask somewhat facetiously the following: suppose we had three years of
geometry and one year of algebra in the curriculum, would not the
question "Do we really need a full year of algebra, anyway?" be appropriate.
Yes, we need a full year of geometry, but we need a full year of geometry
and not some year wasted without mathematics. We need more years of
investigations using thought and fewer years of learning meaningless
algorithmic processes that are more easily forgotten than learned. We
need years of having students learn to think through a probem, to
understand, and to develop rather than to mimic. Do we need a full year
of geometry? Yes, and more. Let's not bail out the students, let's not
make their lives easy, but rather let's get inside their heads and rumage
around, expunging the inert while getting them to begin generating fruitful
thoughts.
If I had a choice of having students study 3 years of geometry and only 1
of algebra as opposed to the present, I would have guessed heaven had
arrived on the wings of a TI-92.
Michael Keyton
St. Mark's School of Texas
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