>In a message dated 10/13/98 4:54:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
>offenhar@email.njin.net writes:
>
><< Dear Karen,
> Hmm! I'm glad you're the one whose opinion I asked, since I disagree
> entirely (and so I get the opportunity to think about this some more!)
>
> << (Since I happen to think timed tests are a bad idea, I prefer to boost my
>students' confidence NOW)>>
>
>You know, I am really far more compassionate than I've been coming off in my
>last handful of posts, but you all are just poking at my pet peaves......
>
>My job is to teach them math, not build their confidence. In doing well on a
>test (without any crutches), the student will have EARNED a boost in self-
>confidence. Artificial confidence can only get someone in trouble later.
>
> > On the other side of this question...
> > 1) If my student is going on to be an elementary school teacher, she
>better
> > know how to do a long division problem quickly "on her feet", because
>she'll
> > be under the gun with 25 little faces staring at her.
> <>
>
>So, if I have a student who needs 15 minutes to work out a 5th grade math
>problem, that's ok? I don't think so.
>
><< -- the idea that to do math, they have to know the answer
> immediately, and if they don't, they shouldn't bother.>>
>
>Not the idea..... the student (who will be a teacher) must know how to work
>the problem fairly immediately.... the answer will come shortly.
>
> > 2) If my student is going on to be a nurse, she better know how to figure
>how
> > much medication to give AND FAST or she could kill someone in an emergency
> > room.
>
> <>
>
>I just came back from a conference where I learned about how math is used by
>resperatory technicians......... These are the people who need to make quick
>adjustments in settings when you are in real trouble -- if they're wrong, you
>can die. It's all calculations with proportions. "Let me think about it."...
>while you die.
>
> Karen the opinionated
>www.coolmath.com
>Orange Coast College
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Sandy Spears
Jefferson Community College
Louisville, KY 40202
sspears@pop.jcc.uky.edu
502-584-0181, ext. 2269
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