Re: Don't Call It "Algebra"; Call It Something Warm And Fuzzy

In article <gpik741k3jilkcgk64o9klmm9hmkirt5jo@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
Bob LeChevalier  <lojbab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>hrubin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Herman Rubin) wrote:
>>In article <l7ak74pmuogf13ieglu6v1gksmvb92lrgc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>>Bob LeChevalier  <lojbab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>>hrubin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Herman Rubin) wrote:

			..............

>>>Memorization and routine lead to automatization, which is required on
>>>a timed test.

>>You continue to stress the trivia.  You seem unable to tell
>>the difference between education and training; memorization
>>and routine is training. 

>And "We the people" want the animals (children) to be trained into
>useful and self-sup****ting members of society.  I suspect that this is
>far more im****tant to most people than any idealized concept of
>"education", which is why the system has evolved in the direction that
>it has.

And this is why we need to im****t graduate students in the
sciences, and people to teach college and graduate science,
to do non-trivial programming, etc.  Sure, we can turn out
clerks, assembly line workers, and the like, but not those
who can use their brains and innovate.

The US has consistently led the world in CS, but it has not
produced many Americans in that; that many of the im****ts
have become Americans is to the good.

When "we the people" attempt to decide things involving the
nature of the universe, only bad things can result.  In the
19th century, there was curriculum, and while understanding
has never been directly taught, some was introduced.  "We
the people" did not interfere when Johnny had to repeat a
grade, and did not ask a teacher to lower the level of a
course to accommodate the weak students.  Nor did they object
when Jane was skipped a grade, unless they though Joe was
smarter, and usually not even then.

-- 
This address is for information only.  I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
         Phone: (765)494-6054   FAX: (765)494-0558