Re: [MATHEDCC] Why Johnny can't..

Martha Haehl (haehl@KCMETRO.CC.MO.US)
Wed, 3 Nov 1999 18:32:11 -0600

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Rob and all,

How did you get your department to move away from strictly a skills =
approach to teaching mathematics? Did you also change the curricular =
definitions of your courses, or is the approach within a traditional =
curriculum?

Martha
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Robert L Kimball=20
To: Dorrit O'Hallaron=20
Cc: mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu=20
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: [MATHEDCC] Why Johnny can't..

To Dorrit and the list serve:=20
As chair of the department I have the responsibility and the =
opportunity to visit each class as the students complete the =
course/instructor evaluation. I have been doing that over the past two =
weeks.=20
1. I have been very pleased with the students' comments regarding =
instruction. They tell me how much the instructor seems to care, how =
willing they are to go over material or explain it differently, to meet =
with them out of class, and how knowledgeable they are in their subject. =
And, I could go on. Since we strive to follow the standards in what we =
teach and how we teach, these comments have been very rewarding.=20
2. I had several students come up to me, after I dismissed the =
class, and tell me how much better they are doing in math because of the =
way we are presenting the material, and I think, because of what =
material we are presenting. We try to use a great deal of hands-on =
activities, spreadsheets, group work, projects and less lecture. The =
students are very involved in the lessons. In the courses we teach for =
non-math intensive AA and AAS degrees, the content is carefully selected =
and taught in the context of applications. The emphasis is not on =
algebraic manipulation-rather, it is on problem solving, understanding =
the solution and selecting the appropriate tools for solving the =
problem. For example, two students (older ladies) came up to me after a =
Mathematical Models class. They both said how much they understood slope =
because of the applications (depreciation, pitch, inventory...) that =
were used to show how meaningful slope is in so many applications. They =
said that the definition of slope had been drilled into them in high =
school, but they never understood it before. They said they were very =
glad that we were changing the way mathematics is taught--making it more =
applied and more meaningful. I must say though, that there were several =
students who said they didn't like all the "word problems." However, =
they agreed that they would see a great many word problems in their =
intended major (business).=20
Thanks for the opportunity to share, glad you asked.=20
Rob=20
=20

Rob Kimball Chair, Mathematics and Physics Department=20
Office: 919-662-3602 Wake Technical Community College=20
Home: 919-266-0850 Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-5696=20
Visit the department's web site at http://www.wake.tec.nc.us/math=20
and the C.H.I.M.P. web site at http://www.wake.tec.nc.us/math/Chimp=20
=20

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Rob and all,
 
How did you get your department to move away from = strictly a=20 skills approach to teaching mathematics?  Did you also change the=20 curricular definitions of your courses, or is the approach within a = traditional=20 curriculum?
 
Martha
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Robert L Kimball
To: Dorrit O'Hallaron
Cc: mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu=
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, = 1999 10:17=20 AM
Subject: Re: [MATHEDCC] Why = Johnny=20 can't..

To Dorrit and the list serve:
As chair of the = department I=20 have the responsibility and the opportunity to visit each class as the = students complete the course/instructor evaluation.  I have been = doing=20 that over the past two weeks.
1.    I have been = very=20 pleased with the students' comments regarding instruction. They tell = me how=20 much the instructor seems to care, how willing they are to go over = material or=20 explain it differently, to meet with them out of class, and how = knowledgeable=20 they are in their subject. And, I could go on.  Since we strive = to follow=20 the standards in what we teach and how we teach, these comments have = been very=20 rewarding.
2.     I had several students come = up to=20 me, after I dismissed the class, and tell me how much better they are = doing in=20 math because of the way we are presenting the material, and I think, = because=20 of what material we are presenting.  We try to use a great deal = of=20 hands-on activities, spreadsheets, group work, projects and less = lecture. The=20 students are very involved in the lessons.  In the courses we = teach for=20 non-math intensive AA and AAS degrees, the content is carefully = selected and=20 taught in the context of applications. The emphasis is not on = algebraic=20 manipulation-rather, it is on problem solving, understanding the = solution and=20 selecting the appropriate tools for solving the problem. For example, = two=20 students (older ladies) came up to me after a Mathematical Models = class. They=20 both said how much they understood slope because of the applications=20 (depreciation, pitch, inventory...) that were used to show how = meaningful=20 slope is in so many applications. They said that the definition of = slope had=20 been drilled into them in high school, but they never understood it = before.=20 They said they were very glad that we were changing the way = mathematics=20 is taught--making it more applied and more meaningful.  I must = say=20 though, that there were several students who said they didn't like all = the=20 "word problems."  However, they agreed that they would see a = great many=20 word problems in their intended major (business).=20

Thanks for the opportunity to share, glad you asked.
Rob =
 =20

Rob Kimball       Chair, Mathematics = and=20 Physics Department
Office:=20 = 919-662-3602          &= nbsp;     =20 Wake Technical Community College
Home: =20 = 919-266-0850          &= nbsp;    =20 Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-5696
Visit the department's web site = at http://www.wake.tec.nc.us/math=20
and the C.H.I.M.P. web site at http://www.wake.tec.nc.us/m= ath/Chimp=20
 

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