I have always like that quote. I sometimes repeat it to my classes. They
do not realize that math was there first, then we have the applictions.
How about "Why does Johnny not want to work?"
Last Friday was an interesting day in my classes. In statistics we were
doing a lab with minitab. If they had finished their homework, gotten
questions answered, then the lab was no problem at all. All they had to do
was to know how to input the information in to minitab. They had a total
of 2 class periods to finish this lab. Halfway through the second day on
this lab I had students coming up to me that could not even draw a diagram
to show what area they were trying to find! I ask "Have you finished your
homework?" All said "A few problems". I said "I think you need to go
finish your homework", response... "But this lab is due in 20 minutes". My
response, "Yes it is." In Calculus I give HOMEWORK quizzes each Thrusday.
One student handed in his quiz on Thrusday with the comment, "I can do the
homework, I just can't do the problems you write." AFter picking up my
mouth from the floor I reminded him that these were homework problems..
response, "I can do the homework, just not the problems you write."
ON the brighter side...I have two sections of our Liberal Arts math class.
I have been requireing 2 page research questions to be answered in place of
chapter tests, (they have quizzes over assigned work). They can choose
from a variety of questions at the beginning of each chapter. It is
intersting to see the the majority of my students have chosen PURE
mathematics as topics! Now, of course these are very SIMPLE topics, but the
fact is they do it! ONe girl just handed in a 2 page paper on very basic
simple TOPOLOGY! (Yes, Randy, I know you are laughing! :) It was very
simple and understandable.
Today we watched "The Proof" in both of these classes. They were amazed at
the video and the persistance of Andrew Wiles. I told them to just "throw
out" the math, as I didn't even understand most of it, and to concentrate
on the PERSON and the PROCESS. They loved it, laughed and got choked up
right along with Andrew Wiles.
What a concept...liberal arts students enjoying PURE mathematics. I know it
can be done, I am seeing it.
Now, I LOVE to give applications in my classes WHEN I CAN, and when they
are REAL applicaitons. I am always in search of more that what I have.
BUT, I also think that students need to have an appreciation for
mathematics alone. My students think I am nuts, I have LOVEMATH license
plates on my car. I give them I LOVE MATH stickers and wear I LOVE MATH
t-shirts. And, I get excited about PURE MATH in class. (my grad school
profs would faint if they heard me say that!) If we get excited, they will
too.
That's my two cents worth... :)
Jodi Cotten
Department of Mathematics
Jamestown Community College
Cattaraugus County Campus
Olean, New York
At 08:51 AM 10/30/99 -1000, John M. Flanigan wrote:
>Laura, I think you've made the most sense of anyone. I'm trying to picture
>a basketball coach, a violin tutor, a drama coach, an apprentice trainer,
>a fitness trainer -- anyone in a position of teacher -- who would try to
>eliminate everything from the program that is not immediately applicable
>in a practical situation. Too, I can't imagine any group of such people
>who would appear so confused about the best way to approach the training
>as have we who are engaged in this discussion.
>
>John M. Flanigan <johnf@hawaii.edu> The equation is the final arbiter.
>Assistant Professor, Mathematics --Werner Heisenberg
>Kapi'olani Community College The scoreboard is the final arbiter.
>4303 Diamond Head Road --Bill Walton
>Honolulu HI 96816 History is the final arbiter.
>(808) 734-9371 --Edward Gibbon
>
>On Thu, 28 Oct 1999, Laura Bracken wrote:
>
>> I agree, teaching math in context using applications is motivating and
>> wonderful. However, is the only mathematics worth knowing and teaching
>> applied mathematics? Isn't mathematics as a human accomplishment in itself
>> worth studying? Certainly many other disciplines that we make part of the
>> core curriculum include topics that are not necessarily "real life" and
>> "useful to solve problems".
>>
>> Besides, we all know that the mathematics used in applications is often
>> developed using pure mathematics that isn't "useful". One of the reasons
>> that we have so many contrived word problems is that textbook writers are
>> trying to meet the call for problems with context in situations where there
>> are few if any applications.
>>
>> I'm still wondering about intermediate algebra. What skills/techniques
>> should we eliminate from this curriculum under the situation in which we
>> must work -- our students must succeed in the next math course or in the
>> other courses for which this is a prerequisite. Lets get away from the
>> theoretical for a bit and talk reality. Next semester, what should I do
>> differently?
>>
>> --Laura
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________________
>> Laura Bracken bracken@lcsc.edu
>>
>> Division of Natural Science and Mathematics Office: 208-799-2484
>> Lewis-Clark State College Fax:
208-799-2064
>> 500 8th Avenue
>> Lewiston, ID 83501
>> _____________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
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