My daughter is a senior, taking AB Calc and struggling with it somewhat. I'm becoming alarmed as I realize how little mathematical intuition she has developed. She used to be good at it, but now she really needs the calculator to tell her how numbers and functions behave. Very frustrating to both of us -- she's come to hate math, and I haven't been able to get her to consider that it is worthwhile, builds strong mental muscles, etc. And she's an intellectual kid, well above average in math (if SATs are any guide) and in a pretty good school system. So what are most kids getting?
I think all the points you make are very thoughtful and interesting to me, but I doubt many HS math teachers are going to have any sense -at all- of what OO means, let alone why it matters. I'm a tech guy, not a math guy, and I don't quite understand where OO fits into math education, but I believe you when you say it does. A few concrete examples would help me understand, and might help make your case. Let me reveal my ignorance (there's a lot of it!) and ask if Python has a way to plot a function that's as easy as on the TI. Without that I think it's going to be a very tough sale, unfortunately. Finally, let me say that I really appreciate the tone of your message. Your sincerity and humility really comes through. I'm sure you're going to continue to encounter plenty of frustration with the math faculty but I think you will make some headway, and inspire a lot of kids too. Cheers, Andy Judkis Oceanport, NJ _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list Edu-sig@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig