|
|
Re: Information on New Models for Developmental Math (Pathways; New Life)
Posted:
Mar 31, 2012 8:24 AM
|
|
I'm currently teaching a version of the MLCS course. We're in our second semester of the pilot and it's going very well. The course is not like any current redesign efforts based in skill remediation. The way I think of it is most reform efforts now look back to fill skill gaps produced from high school. This course looks forward to what the student needs for where they're going. So, my students are going to liberal arts math or statistics. I need them to be able to read, think critically, interpret, build models, connect concepts, apply ideas, and move fluidly between representations. I need them to have a working understanding of numbers. I also want them have some algebra fluency but I'm more interested that they can look at a situation and determine if algebra would be appropriate or efficient to solve it or if some other method would be. We address all of these issues and more in the course. Specifically we address student success in unique ways, integrating it with the mathematics. We also address mathematical ideas of precision, accuracy, and error.
Additionally, I want students to have options upon completion. So we built the course with the idea that they could move into intermediate algebra afterwards if they desire to go the STEM route. The outcome has been a very rich course that other disciplines want their students taking. Students enjoy the course too. It's rigorous and engaging. They are talking about and doing mathematics. Every problem is a word problem and not the "two trains passing in the night" variety. Everything is set in words. Plus, we have them work on open-ended problems, a new twist to them. I try to explain to them that there is no "big back of the book" in real life. Being married to an engineer, I've seen how being able to defend your work and determine its reasonableness is critical to success. We want them to be exposed to problems without unique answers.
If you would like to see course objectives, lessons, etc., please let me know. My website is below with more information. I can also get you a sample unit.
Kathleen Almy
http://almydoesmath.blogspot.com
|
|
