This list is dedicated to math instruction in two-year colleges, and to
the first two years at four-year schools.
Two year colleges are open admissions. We tend to get students who never
did learn factoring in their K-12 experience. Our students tend to be
bimodal (my opinion). Most of those in our developmental courses in fact
have a very hard time factoring quadratics, because they do not have the
number sense to "guess" the required numbers. It just isn't there.
So I think people in two-year colleges, seeing the frustration of these
students, and spending large amounts of time on it (and similar topics)
(or they used to) ask themselves if this is of any benefit to these
students and/or society. Wouldn't it be better if they learned to figure
out simple interest, or why a 15 year mortgage can be better than a 30
year mortgage?
Most of these students don't get a bachelors (I believe I just read that
somewhere). How can the hours and hours in the classroom be best spent on
these students? (Even if they do get a B.A., by the way.)
I doubt if anyone on this list doesn't think factoring is pretty slick
stuff, for themselves. Or that many leave the K-12 system having mastered
it. When one talks about the population in the two-year college
developmental course, opinions diverge, however.
I will refrain from proposing answers here, but in the community college
developmental course, factoring quadratics is a tricky thing to learn. Any
discussion of these students has to be based upon that premise.
>
>As for graphics calculators, I rarely see them. When I walk through LAX
>or
>Dulles, I do see a lot of laptops.
I agree that graphing calculators are over-rated. But for our students a
$80 gc at least can convey the idea of entering formulas and plotting
data. And that a machine can do some things for us.
No question in my mind, laptops would be far better for these (or any)
students. Graphing calculators have practically no utility outside of a
math classroom.
>
Phil Mahler
Middlesex CC
Bedford, MA
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