[USMA:51803] Re: Is Algebra Necessary? And follow-up question

[John M. Steele]

Well, I suppose he has proven that "political science" is the only science that doesn't require mathematics.   Algebra is the key to all higher mathematics, and various topics in higher mathematics are key to all understanding of science (with the possible exception of political science, which may be an oxymoron).   Perhaps we could try better teaching methods so the kids actually learn it, or in earlier grades do a better job of teaching reading and arithmetic so kids are ready for the basic concepts of algebra.  Kids who can't read, and can't do arithmetic with their calculators don't have a chance of "getting" algebra or ever catching up.   As for metrication, do you hope to teach actual science and engineering or "science appreciation"?  Science and engineering involve lots of math, but they also involve clear understanding of measurement.  Quantities, units, inter-relationships by way of formulas are vital to any useful level of science of engineering.  If kids already understand and use metric, the concepts of science are FAR easier to teach in metric units (which I suppose gives foreign kids an advantage because they are brought up with metric.  Teaching science and engineering in foot-pound units is just a nightmare.  All the stupid conversion factors make the concepts much more difficult to grasp.  If the kids don't understand metric, you have to pause and teach it first.  It would have been better to teach it in early grades by SUBSTANTIALLY suppressing the teaching of Customary units and conversions.   However, I don't know how to answer your question on "how big a piece."  The pieces of the education puzzle are like the bricks of a building.  Each row of bricks is built on the bricks before it.  If any of the bricks are missing or defective, the building is at risk, and the "foundation" courses of brickwork are the most important because they support the whole building.    The kids need to know how to measure and manipulate metric units, make sensible prefix choices etc.  Stupid problems, like how many nanometers in a kilometer, may have some use in teaching scientific notation, but they serve to make the metric system look stupid and impractical. --- On Mon, 7/30/12, Metric Rules <i...@metricrules.org> wrote: From: Metric Rules <i...@metricrules.org> Subject: [USMA:51802] Is Algebra Necessary? And follow-up question To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu> Date: Monday, July 30, 2012, 10:26 AM I imagine policy makers in China and India (and even Canada) sitting around reading this piece and thinking…. Go ahead U.S., let’s see how that approach works out for you! We can only poach talent from other countries for so long.   Is Algebra Necessary? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/is-algebra-necessary.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all   A measurement related question and something that I have been thinking about lately. With all the different problems we have in education from teacher qualifications, teacher tenure, impact of standardized tests, teacher evaluation, influence of text book and testing companies, lack of parental involvement (new social role of schools), poverty and related food and physical insecurity, classroom management issues, our negative cultural legacy thinking that math is a gift and not a reward for hard work, the use of calculators in elementary school, willingness to debate and implement lower standards to “pass” more kids, the grouping of kids by age only not other factors such as ability, schools not accommodating many learning styles, broken up and repeated (not built upon) curricula, the fact that we have very powerful people questioning the legitimacy of science, our inability to connect, in a meaningful way, the U.S’s current and future position in the world to our quality and access to education,  just to name a few. How would you prioritize metrication in education?  This is a how to choose your battle question. I recognize we are a bias group here.   As some of you know, I work with a nonprofit focused exclusively on metrication in education.  Our arguments revolve around the importance of measurement as the foundation of STEM instruction and STEM knowledge and why the practice of dual-measurement instruction is an inefficient use of limited class time. I know that measurement is only a piece of the education puzzle but how big of a piece?   Bridget Nagarajan Metric Rules Metric Only STEM Education in the USA