However, we keep saying "math" without sharing a definition: What,
exactly, do you mean?
I think we could improve our understanding and helping of students if we
insisted on using the plural -- whether it is 'maths' or 'mathematics'.
Most people's perception of mathematics is based on arithmetic; not only is
arithmetic a very small portion of the mathematics landscape, but the
school curriculum has been dominated by mechanical teaching of algorithms.
In this discussion of associate degrees, we talk about the 'math'
requirement is either important or irrelevant (depending on which 'math'
the person has in mind). At my college, we have a typical situation --
students must pass either intermediate algebra or subsequent course in the
sequence; we also allow a business math class to count, as well as the 2nd
semester of our technical math sequence. Overall, I think there are two
basic situations that result in a mathematics requirement:
1) If there are job-related math requirements, the department offering the
curriculum should ensure the mathematics -- which ought to be simple. In
practice, there is common resistance to 'another requirement'.
2) If there are institution-wide math requirements, therefore, we might
have one of two scenarios:
a) The college believes the departments have failed in their duty to
provide mathematics.
b) The college believes that mathematics is part of a valuable general
education program.
The second situation (b), of course, is the happier of the two -- but only
if people force the issue of mathematicS as a plural noun. Should general
education include arithmetic? polynomial algebra? discrete methods?
calculus? statistics? (Is statistics even a mathematical domain??)
differential equations? geometry? ...
In this discussion, what criteria are important? (If the answer is
'practicality', then let's dump everything except calculus -- I can list
many every day applications of calculus, but only a few trivial uses of
arithmetic. In fact, the history of mathematics development stretches from
the areas of least practicality -- counting -- to the areas of most
practicality -- such as discrete methods and calculus. Should we give
students only the stuff that was 'up-to-date' until the 18th century?
Of course, the sad part of the myths about mathematics is that they tend to
perpetuate the conditions that cause the myths ... most students take
intermediate algebra because they need to meet a prerequisite for a course
or program, and many of these needs resist any change to a more general
mathematics course.
By the way, the grossest phrase I hear about our discipline is the phrase
"basic mathematics" -- because the person communicating with this phrase
almost always means 'grade school arithmetic' (K-8). Basic mathematics
describes a cross section of specialties, where the basic concepts are
presented from each; this would resemble a liberal arts course, but most
people (including many math teachers) use the phrase in the inaccurate
form.
Thanks for reading; I hope you found something enjoyable or interesting.
___________________________________________________________________________
___
From: Jack Rotman Mathematics Faculty
"Algebra and money are essentially levelers; the first intellectually,
the second effectively."
Weil, Simone (1909 - 1943)
Mathematical Skills Dept Lansing Community College
visit our home page: http://www.lansing.cc.mi.us/sas/mathsci
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