Comments on: More on the NECAPs and Math Education

By: Mister Guy

Mister Guy — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:24:28 +0000

Exactly…I hope Charity feels better soon…

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:58:15 +0000

Hey, if that MA teacher had only written “What’s an interrogative statement?” he’d have been head and shoulders above the rest!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:56:28 +0000

MA teacher: “I encourage my students to question everything, so I don’t waste classroom time teaching that interrogative statement nonsense!”

By: Mister Guy

Mister Guy — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:59:04 +0000

The MA teacher testing was a pretty sad affair indeed. I remember one prospective MA teacher complaining that one of the questions on the test, “Write an interogative sentence.”, was too difficult since a whole lot of general population probably couldn’t answer the question properly. That’s the point though…you’re a *teacher*…you’re supposed to know more than the students and a lot of the parents. Excellent, well-qualified, well-motivated, well-paid teachers are essential to learning in school.

I actually took algebra without first taking pre-algebra. Our algebra teacher held up the pre-algebra book on the first day of class and asked us if we had done anything in it during the previous year (we hadn’t, but we should have), then she said “Oh well” and started teaching as if we had already experienced pre-algebra. Boy was that fun…

By: Henry Borenson, Ed.D.

Henry Borenson, Ed.D. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:37:45 +0000

The National Math Panel noted that many students “have difficulty grasping the syntax or structure of algebraic equations and do not understand the procedures for transforming equations or why transformations are done the way they are.” It is indeed true that for many students algebra is a foreign language. Many students simply do not understand the meaning of the symbols used in algebra. Some students succeed by memorizing rules or procedures for solving equations.

All students, however, would benefit from instruction in algebra that made the concepts visual and hands-on. Research now shows that such instruction can be provided as early as the 4th and 5th grade, with more than 80% of the students tested experiencing success in solving equation such as 3x = x+12 and 4x 3=3x+9. Success with such algebraic equations in the early grades would also serve to provide a strong foundation for students to succeed in a regular algebra course years later.

This success would also serve to enhance student interest and excitement about mathematics. This is most important since the number #1 area of concern among the high school teachers surveyed by the Panel was lack of student motivation.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:42:26 +0000

“The problem has been identified. The solutions have been presented. Now all that remains is for the educrats and the educators to do the right thing.”

Don’t hold your breath.

Just for laughs, the teachers should take the test and their results published along with their names.

In 1997, Massachusetts tested prospective teachers for basic skills and 59% of them failed!
I doubt VT teachers would do much better.

http://www.eagleforum.org/educ.....ltest.html