Search All of the Math Forum:
Views expressed in these public forums are not endorsed by
Drexel University or The Math Forum.
|
|
|
|
Lott's opinion piece in NOTICES
Posted:
Jun 19, 2004 10:21 PM
|
|
The June/July 2004 issue of the AMS NOTICES
http://www.ams.org/notices/200406/200406-toc.html
contains an opinion piece by Johnny W. Lott, the immediate past
president of the NCTM. Lott discussed six planks from the NCTM (2003)
political advocacy program: Equity, Teacher Quality, Research,
Assessment, Technology, Teacher Shortage and Retention.
Lott concludes his piece with: "Can we as mathematical people afford not
to promote mathematics with the platform outlined if our discipline is
to survive?"
In my opinion, a key element for the survival of our discipline is sound
textbooks, a "plank" that is glaringly omitted by Lott. The junk books
that are being produced in the U.S. can be grouped into three broad
categories:
1. The books that copied the Houghton Mifflin series coauthored by Mary
P. Dolciani.
2. The MTV/Rain-forest doorstops exposed by Marianne Jennings.
3. Assorted "reform math" rubbish.
As long as our publishing racket continues to produce books that stunt
the minds of our students, starting in elementary school, the
pseudo-education of American students will continue unabated.
Dom Rosa
------- End of Forwarded Message
|
|
|
|
