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Re: Chapter 3--Everybody Counts
Posted:
Mar 15, 1995 10:39 AM
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>3. Comment on the statement: "As computers become more powerful, the
> need for mathematics will decline."
Computers are already able to do many of the skill tasks, they'll only
continue to be able to do more. Although the need to study certain
mathematics skills will decline, the need to study mathematics in order to
develop "mathematical thinking" skills will not.
>4. Why is it that mathematics education in the United States resists
> change in spite of the many forces that are revolutionizing the nature
> and role of mathematics itself?
People are uncomfortable with change and as long as teachers don't have to
change (or avoid recognizing the need) they won't. "It's "easy" to be a
math teacher, you only have to grade right/wrong! You don't have to grade
those essays." Discomfort, oblivion, and ease of teaching (the lecture,
quiz, test way) will keep math ed from changing.
>5. Why do you suppose that 50% of school teachers leave the profession
> every seven years?
Some of us left (K-12) becuase we were treated (by parents and
administrators) as assembly-line employees and not as professionals or even
para-professionals or even as if we had a brain in our head. A first-year
lawyer is given more respect for their knowledge of law than I was given
for my knowledge of mathematics and teaching. Granted, my skills were not
perfect, I firmly believe there is an art to teaching, but I knew what to
do and was trying to accomplish it.
Sorry for getting carried away, I really resent my last principal and LOVE
teaching college students.
(Ron, sorry you're getting multiple copies. I haven't had coffee yet this
morning!)
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Mary K. Hannigan VoiceNet 512-485-7219
Austin Community College FaxNet 512-280-3977
1212 Rio Grande Internet hannigan@mail.utexas.edu
Austin, TX 78701 or hannigan@austin.cc.tx.us
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