Curriculum Debate

[Gabu]

MUCH[/b] less emphaisis on math and science. We've focused on them for the last 40 years, enough all ready!

I get the sense that PBrunsel doesn't like math and science.

Given that math and science are the two fields that are changing extremely rapidly, whereas basically all of the other ones are just the same material over and over, I personally think that more emphasis should be put on those two things.  Plus, we need to figure out a way to teach them without making students hate them.  Those two subjects can be extremely interesting if completely grasped, but extremely abstract and seemingly pointless if not.

[Gabu]

I tend to think Science is more useful than Math, but of course schools are tested on Math, so that's the most often taught subject.

We can't increase every subject, unless you cut into Summer break.

You'll find that virtually every science uses large amounts of math. Biology, chemistry, and especially physics, all use math. Virtually all engineering is math.

Yeah, what he said.

I'm taking two courses in physics next semester.  Guess what they use extensively?  The math I learned this semester.

Of course, there are more abstract fields of math that I agree don't have much use in the real world.  I like them because they're nifty, but they're certainly not going to help you do anything in life.

I will admit that there are other things that should be given emphasis as well.  History is a huge one.  Everyone should know history, lest it repeat itself.  However, stuff like higher levels of English should not be required.  Once you're literate, being able to analyze the theme in a novel and then write an essay on it is not going to allow you to put food on your table.  It should certainly be there as an option for those who like that stuff, but I don't think your life would be incomplete if you didn't do that.

[Gabu]

I tend to think Science is more useful than Math, but of course schools are tested on Math, so that's the most often taught subject.

We can't increase every subject, unless you cut into Summer break.

You'll find that virtually every science uses large amounts of math. Biology, chemistry, and especially physics, all use math. Virtually all engineering is math.

Yeah, what he said.

I'm taking two courses in physics next semester.  Guess what they use extensively?  The math I learned this semester.

Of course, there are more abstract fields of math that I agree don't have much use in the real world.  I like them because they're nifty, but they're certainly not going to help you do anything in life.

Fine, Math is useful, but we have to cut back on something if we want to increase something else.

Well, yes.  I don't know what we'd cut (other than what I said above); I agree that pretty much most of it is useful and I don't think students would exactly like longer days or a shorter summer holiday.

[Gabu]

I tend to think Science is more useful than Math, but of course schools are tested on Math, so that's the most often taught subject.

We can't increase every subject, unless you cut into Summer break.

You'll find that virtually every science uses large amounts of math. Biology, chemistry, and especially physics, all use math. Virtually all engineering is math.

Yeah, what he said.

I'm taking two courses in physics next semester.  Guess what they use extensively?  The math I learned this semester.

Of course, there are more abstract fields of math that I agree don't have much use in the real world.  I like them because they're nifty, but they're certainly not going to help you do anything in life.

Fine, Math is useful, but we have to cut back on something if we want to increase something else.

Well, yes.  I don't know what we'd cut (other than what I said above); I agree that pretty much most of it is useful and I don't think students would exactly like longer days or a shorter summer holiday.

Do you mean stuff like Calculus? (sp?)

No, I edited my post; check it again.  I meant stuff like higher-level English, although if Calculus is taught in high schools in America (it's not here), I do agree that that shouldn't be required.  For people who aren't going to be continuing on into university, it's not really useful.

[Gabu]

English is another subject that's almost entirely useless. All it is is reading books and trying to remember stuff about them.

I know this is going to shock you, but I completely agree.

It should be available in high school if people want it, but it shouldn't be required.

[Gabu]

I think knowing Shakespeare is part of the cultural/historic brain gap that is threatening us, we don't know who MLK is, we don't know what Shakespeare did, we don't know where Iraq is, and that needs to be changed.

True.  I did say that history is very important, if you check my post, and I think geography would go along with that.  I do agree that some parts of English are certainly useful in establishing a knowledge base.  Most of it, however, I found to be completely useless.  As I said, I don't think that being able to analyze the theme in a novel or whatever is going to help you with anything.

[Gabu]

I do not know, but I would vote for anyone who gets me out of a class with people who can't seem to understand that 3.0 is the same number as 3 even after 15 minutes of explanation.

(@%&)(&

But 3.0 has a dot and a zero after it!

[Gabu]

I do not know, but I would vote for anyone who gets me out of a class with people who can't seem to understand that 3.0 is the same number as 3 even after 15 minutes of explanation.

(@%&)(&

But 3.0 has a dot and a zero after it!

And in some applications 3 and 3.0 are not the same thing as 3.0 indicates a greater degree of precision.

True, but they are the same number, although not the same representation of that number.