[toots horn] ***proud master of manual long division***
(Thank you for your assistance, Miss Connolly, and the Boston Public Schools of 1960) Paul Trusten, Reg. Pharmacist Vice President U.S. Metric Association, Inc. Midland, Texas USA www.metric.org +1(432)528-7724 [email protected] On Aug 2, 2012, at 13:49, "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]> wrote: > John, > > Not all children even have the ability to master elementary arithmetic > (addition, subtraction, and multiplication) or "long division" by hand > (without a calculator), (why bother with LD by hand?) to say nothing of > expecting older students to learn algebra, trig, and calculus. Only a few > persons have the talents and diligence to win a Nobel Prize in a STEM field > or in *any* field! Educational standards should not expect *all* students to > master elementary arithmetic (+ - x). Those having more talent should, > however, be offered the "opportunity" for more. > > I would set the minimum standard for *most* pupils at mastery of + - x, > without requiring long division by hand. > > "No child left behind" was an impossible objective which many states have now > discarded or made optional. > > Gene Mechtly > From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of John > Altounji [[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 4:35 PM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:51810] FW: Is Algebra Necessary? And follow-up question > > Let’s reward mediocrity. A well written opinion to put the US even deeper > behind other industrial contries. > > John Altounji > One size does not fit all. > Social promotion ruined Education. > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Metric Rules > Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 7:27 AM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:51802] Is Algebra Necessary? And follow-up question > > 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 > <image001.png><image002.png><image003.png><image004.png><image005.png> >
