Comments on: Fuck Math http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/2009/01/27/fk-math/ Living & parenting without the rule book Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:47:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Thoughts on Proposed Common Math Standards - Lefty Parent http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/2009/01/27/fk-math/comment-page-1/#comment-6781 Thoughts on Proposed Common Math Standards - Lefty Parent Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:34:20 +0000 http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/?p=357#comment-6781 [...] agreed). The most dramatic issues seemed to be with math classes. (See my earlier pieces on “Fuck Math” and “Tutoring Geometry” chronicling both my kids hitting the wall with mathematics and [...] [...] agreed). The most dramatic issues seemed to be with math classes. (See my earlier pieces on “Fuck Math” and “Tutoring Geometry” chronicling both my kids hitting the wall with mathematics and [...]

]]> By: Evie Romero Montoya http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/2009/01/27/fk-math/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Evie Romero Montoya Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:46:09 +0000 http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/?p=357#comment-62 Vaguely in the haze of my horror of math, I did see that solving for X was a beautiful and symmetrical thing. Beyond that, however, the beauty of words won over the beauty of what Galileo said was God's way of explaining the universe. Required to go through college algebra in my undergrad program, every time the professor (who was in his 70s) would introduce a new concept, I would use the title to create a new poem. I wrote a lot of poetry that semester. One day, the professor was giving us a tour down memory lane as he told us about how his red-haired college sweetheart had actually helped him pass college algebra. He ended class with these rather heartfelt words: "I sure wish more of you girls had red hair." That was a Friday. On Monday, he walked into an auditorium full of red-haired women. 90% of us had colored our hair red over the weekend. He was delighted. We all adored him, and we all passed his algebra class! Vaguely in the haze of my horror of math, I did see that solving for X was a beautiful and symmetrical thing. Beyond that, however, the beauty of words won over the beauty of what Galileo said was God’s way of explaining the universe. Required to go through college algebra in my undergrad program, every time the professor (who was in his 70s) would introduce a new concept, I would use the title to create a new poem. I wrote a lot of poetry that semester. One day, the professor was giving us a tour down memory lane as he told us about how his red-haired college sweetheart had actually helped him pass college algebra. He ended class with these rather heartfelt words: “I sure wish more of you girls had red hair.” That was a Friday. On Monday, he walked into an auditorium full of red-haired women. 90% of us had colored our hair red over the weekend. He was delighted. We all adored him, and we all passed his algebra class!

]]> By: Cooper Zale http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/2009/01/27/fk-math/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Cooper Zale Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:02:07 +0000 http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/?p=357#comment-53 Richard... thanks for those thoughts from someone in the trenches for so long... 40 years wow! I agree with you that the size of the school is really important, though I might be inclined to cap it at a lower number than you. From my experience, an institution works best when everybody knows everyone else and also when there are real decision makers there on site rather than pulling the strings from some far off bureaucracy. Richard… thanks for those thoughts from someone in the trenches for so long… 40 years wow! I agree with you that the size of the school is really important, though I might be inclined to cap it at a lower number than you. From my experience, an institution works best when everybody knows everyone else and also when there are real decision makers there on site rather than pulling the strings from some far off bureaucracy.

]]> By: Richard Weekley http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/2009/01/27/fk-math/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Richard Weekley Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:40:33 +0000 http://www.leftyparent.com/blog/?p=357#comment-52 Hi Cooper I recently retired after teaching High School for 40 years in the Hart District in California. Because of FEAR or FAILURE some students become Math-phobic -- the mental processes are there and adequate but the" ITS MATH I CAN'T DO THAT" emotion wipes out the thinking screen. I really believe a cap of 500 students should be on every school. It gives a level of contact and interaction larger schools can't give and the ability for students to progress at their own best rate. My 15 years at Bowman Continuation High School drove home that point every day. Great Blog, keep it up. Hi Cooper

I recently retired after teaching High School for 40 years in the Hart District in California. Because of FEAR or FAILURE some students become Math-phobic — the mental processes are there and adequate but the” ITS MATH I CAN’T DO THAT” emotion wipes out the thinking screen.

I really believe a cap of 500 students should be on every school. It gives a level of contact and interaction larger schools can’t give and the ability for students to progress at their own best rate. My 15 years at Bowman Continuation High School drove home that point every day. Great Blog, keep it up.

]]>