🚀 go-pugleaf

"Bob LeChevalier" <lojbab@lojban.org> wrote in message 
news:84pjv094bifi6mls09e3a8qqc0efp49v44@4ax.com...
> Jay Kadis <jay@ccrma.stanford.edu> wrote:
>>In article <ctbd3h$1j8c@odds.stat.purdue.edu>,
>> hrubin@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) wrote:
>
>>> How would one get statistics on this?  Let the subject matter
>>> scholars question the teachers on their knowledge of the basics,
>>> and you will find few in mathematics or science who would
>>> challenge this statement.  But there is no way that you would
>>> get the establishment to agree to this test.
>>
>>That is pure speculation on your part.  There are examinations that all 
>>teachers
>>must pass to become certified.
>
> To Herman, those tests do not cover "mathematics".  To him mathematics
> has little to do with the courses that mathematics teachers teach,
> which is why he finds that mathematics teachers don't understand the
> sorts of stuff he thinks is important.
>
> Herman has stated that there are many with math degrees who do not
> really understand mathematics.  It is not surprising that he finds
> teachers lacking in the understanding that he and his colleagues fail
> to provide to those to whom they award degrees.
>
That is kind of interesting.  In high school, I had a full slate of 
mathematics
courses.  I then went to college, and promptly flunked out.  At the time I 
thought
I knew mathematics pretty well.   Well, I found out that I really did not 
understand
mathematics, as well as I thought I did.  So, when I found a college that 
would accept
me, I took all my college level math courses again (inclusing my senior high 
school math
course work).  But this time, having gone through Applications of Calculus 
in my first
attempt at college, I knew what I did not know.  An therefore, spent a whole 
lot more
time, learning the basics of mathematics.  Not saying I am a math wiz, but I 
sure was
a whole lot better at it, the second time around.

But I also think that there is a certain level of maturity (don't know if 
that is the right word
to use) that is required.  It just seems to me that you have to be able to 
"visualize" the concept
that is being taught, or else, you are simply learning by memorization.