Subject: Re: Topic Appropriateness
From: RAYFan@aol.com
Date: Fri Sep 15 2000 - 17:46:02 EDT
Well, I found out how to wake you guys up around here! I've gotten many
responses - some posted and some private. Let me answer some questions I've
been getting.
The program was started about 10 years ago. Most of these topics are in our
honors sequence... But our regular Calc sequence is very inflatted too. We
do about 20% more in our regular courses than UC Berkeley does.
To be honest, the program has one purpose: To serve its creator's ego.
There is much boasting to the universities we transfer to about the topics we
cover. Over the years a few other teachers have been roped in to teaching
these courses. (We've had to get adjuncts and a PhD from a neighboring
university to help out too.) Those who teach them are superior to those who
don't and they make no bones about it to the students. It's a club. If you
aren't a member, you get bullied and mocked -- in front of the students.
Most just try to keep clear of the whole situation... They're part of the
problem too, if you ask me.
How do the students do?
Our top student from awhile back won just about every national honor there
is... My friend currently tutors this student. The student was clueless --
completely void of the basic concepts. (Don't get me wrong! The student was
still deserving of those honors and is very bright.) My friend thinks these
courses actually did damage to this student's understanding of mathematics.
I could site many other cases like this. The students are told that, if they
aren't getting it, they don't have appropriate study habits and won't be able
to compete when they transfer. So they sit in the chairs and nod politely at
everything the teacher says. Then they are told exactly what to memorize for
the exams. Being genetically tenacious, they memorize well.
Forget the texts used... What level to the topics match up with at the
universities?
I've done extensive research on this. These topics are listed in junior,
senior and graduate level courses at the universities we transfer to (SECOND
YEAR GRADUATE for a couple of the topic!). NOWHERE have I found ONE of these
topics listed in the first two years!! Not one place. Not even at Cal Tech
-- supposedly the hardest math degree around.
Ray
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