Also just to clarify when I said:
IMHO the real key being a massive increase in *expectations* for all years from 6 to 11.
I meant years as in years old i.e. ages 6 to 11, not years as in school years ! On 12 Mar 2011, at 23:06, David Makin wrote:
Ooops - sorry - UK, more specifically England/Wales :)
On 12 Mar 2011, at 19:07, Cordwell, William R wrote:
Where is "Here"?
Thanks, Bill C
----- Original Message ----- From: David Makin [mailto:makinmagic@tiscali.co.uk] Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 10:22 PM To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [math-fun] High school calculus?
Here Calculus has apparently been removed from the National under-16 syllabus which I find a little annoying (especially when successive Governments have claimed there's been no "dumbing down" of education in order to improve pass rates) *because calculus hasn't been replaced by something else*.
IMHO the whole of education needs a complete overhaul - it should be designed so the same knowledge is acquired but with 100* the fun factor from the students perspective - to me this means rethink the teaching method completely so it's all done through games and challenges for the students rather than dry lecturing/dictation/textbook use etc. IMHO the real key being a massive increase in *expectations* for all years from 6 to 11. Plus get rid of the incredibly stupid and crippling modern "PC" attitude of removing all sense of competition as if it's morally or ethically incorrect - just congratulate the "winners" and commiserate with the "losers", to do otherwise teachers children something that simply is a lie and some will be unprepared for the naked truth once they leave education. (I realise that this 'PC" practice only applies to some and not all).
On 12 Mar 2011, at 00:49, Henry Baker wrote: