🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <33016.2B3AC0F0@puddle.fidonet.org>, Lloyd.Johnston@p0.f45.n342.z1.fidonet.org (Lloyd Johnston) writes:
|> CH> The problem is that these kids seem to be so involved in their social
|> CH> beings, that homework is definately no priority and only a nuisance to
|> CH> be gotten out of the way ASAP.  Does your district have a policy as to
|> CH> the weight of homework in the overall grade of the student? 

Can students be motivated to think, live, and breathe math? I think so. I
seemed to sometimes. Math has to be fun. It has to be relevant. And it has
to be irrelevant. It has to be intriguing, but accessible.

I've proven with complete rigor many basic theorems about sets. The proofs
are based on the Zermelo-Fraenkel Axioms and first order logic. No details
have been omitted. Although my goal was not to gain confidence in my
ability to reason (I had no need) nor to gain knowledge in set theory (I
didn't really make such gains), I think that if students see these proofs,
they would appreciate math. They would see that math is not such a black
art. Part of my goals was to gain experience in writing proofs and theorems.
I certainly did gain such experience.

|> The good students will do their homework whetner or not it is graded.  If 
|> their are 10 similar questions and they got the idea on question 4 they will
|> not waste their time doing the other six.  In my AP 30 class however we 
|> usually have to do everything and still ask the teacher because it is 
|> deceptively difficult.

The idea is to do the other six ever faster. This is good practice in case
the knowledge has to be applied many times to solve a problem. The risk is
to madly apply knowledge repetitively where it's not needed. Variety in the
assigned problems addresses this nonsense a bit.

|> This method puts a good deal of trust in the students, but really it makes
|> no difference.  Most students who never do their homework will probably
|> not do it even under punishment of death . . . <<big grin>>
 
What if math is made socially acceptable? Something that is just as fun
as football, swimming or sex. The activities of the mind and the body should
complement each other. Then you get a right angle.

-- 

Henry Choy
choy@cs.usask.ca

"The Log Song", from Ren & Stimpy
 
   "What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs
    Rolls over your neighbor's dog?
    What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
    It's Log, Log, Log!
 
    It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
    It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
    Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
    Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!"


"Math is tough!"

      -- Barbie