Seattle Public Schools Will Start Teaching That Math Is Oppressive

[bluecolt]

You need to understand that this proposal has got this far by educators who have some influence. There are liberal academians who have floated such ideas on American universities.

Why? I'm guessing because STEM education and proficiency contributes to so much wealth differential around the world. If certain minority groups consistently achieve less on objective* math tests even when all the factors are similar, this erodes the incessant white privilege argument. Meanwhile, Asian students in North America (and back in Asia) just dig into the books and kick-ass. They don't give a shit that Albert Einstein was a white European.

*Anecdote: The American university I graduated from quite awhile back had a very aggressive affirmative action admissions program. These students were usually at the bottom of the grading curve in courses with a foundation in math of which there are many. The professors in the liberal arts classes with subjective grading took it upon themselves to enlist a noticeable two track grading system to help the minority students.

I concur with your premise wholeheartedly. I attended graduate school in Michigan over thirty years ago. For many of the graduate courses, undergraduates shared the program. At that time, affirmative action was ongoing in admissions. I had black and Hispanic individuals in my class that had no business being there. Many could not keep up with the cirriculum even though it was dumbed down by the faculty. Over the period of the term, these students generally dropped out. To salve the egos of the liberals, the minority students were sacrificed as guinea pigs. Their despair and angst in class seemed not to be not a consideration for the elitist liberals.

I still believe that affirmative action is horseshit and took a toll on certain minority students. They were totally inept and incompetent to keep up with their studies

 

[mandrill]

A good example of why I moved out of Seattle .... the inmates are running the asylum! They exist in their little corner of the US and try to keep outsiders from coming in. They like to think they are trend setters. Luckily the infections spread slowly and can usually be eradicated.

Too bad, it's such a pretty area.

I'm sure Seattle misses you Slurp. When they finally learn their lesson, you will return in triumph.

What the proposal says is that the course will be a hybrid social studies course mixed with a maths course. I would prefer a straight concentration on maths. But there's nothing intrinsically nonsensical about the proposal. If the proposal put forward was a non ethnic narrative about the use of maths and science as a history / social science-y component of a maths course, you dudes wouldn't give a shit. It's the "ethnic" part that bothers you.

 

[Smallcock]

Sorry Oagre, it's an all-around stupid idea.

Like a poster noted above, Asians are killing it in STEM. They laugh at western excess and the stupidity it's brought upon academia. They not only don't give a shit about Einstein's ethnicity; they also don't give a shit if he was a good guy or a bad guy; they don't give a shit about taking down statues to people that weren't perfect in retrospect. They don't give a shit to waste valuable time and effort protesting such nonsense because they know that it has zero impact on whether or not you get an 'A' in math or fail at math.

The Chinese and Indians look at North Americans and are humoured by our incessant focus on the ridiculous. You have the best academic institutions in the world and you're ruining them. What's wrong with Americans now? They've become stupid. Yes they have. Indeed, they have.

Instead of looking backward and tearing down and over-analyzing and revising history, they're looking to machines, the stars, innovation, and conquest. We won't get any of that from legions of privileged nitwit social studies grads.

We're training the next generation to be dishwashers, severs, and customer service personnel with big beautiful diplomas on their rented bedroom walls. We should be training them to be leaders.

 

[HungSowel]

The math you learn in high school is all stuff that was invented 2 thousand years ago by non-europeans, if you told students that arabs invented the math they are studying; that is not an issue.

Before you get all outraged, you should wait for the actual curriculum.

 

[Charlemagne]

If Canada-man knew anything about math, he wouldn't be working a dead end job and living in an old building.

 

[luvyeah]

The math you learn in high school is all stuff that was invented 2 thousand years ago by non-europeans, if you told students that arabs invented the math they are studying; that is not an issue.

Before you get all outraged, you should wait for the actual curriculum.

Euclid and Pythagoras were both Greek.

 

[canada-man]

If Canada-man knew anything about math, he wouldn't be working a dead end job and living in an old building.

this from somebody who for the last 4 years stalk and follow me all over the board, unemployed and post between 12 am and 5am and never posted a review or anything about sex work and escort issues

 

[Smallcock]

The math you learn in high school is all stuff that was invented 2 thousand years ago by non-europeans, if you told students that arabs invented the math they are studying; that is not an issue.

Before you get all outraged, you should wait for the actual curriculum.

How about keeping history lessons in history courses?

Interestingly Asians don't need to be taught where numerals originated in order to ace math tests. They don't even need to know how to read English.

The proposal is another waste of time, money, and a deflection from strengthening core math skills.

 

[WyattEarp]

How about keeping history lessons in history courses?

Interestingly Asians don't need to be taught where numerals originated in order to ace math tests. They don't even need to know how to read English.

The proposal is another waste of time, money, and a deflection from strengthening core math skills.

Math is Math and Social Sciences are Social Sciences. True Math curriculum is objective in the textbook and on the test page. It wouldn't surprise some of you that many teachers in the U.S. and Canada don't like standardized tests. What do you think a Math test is? A Math test don't give a fuck what color you are, how pretty you are or how popular you are.

 

[luvyeah]

How about keeping history lessons in history courses?

Learning the history of mathematics including the time and motivations for why it was developed tells an interesting story.
In my opinion, learning the period in time and geographical location along with the direction society was headed can help keep it less dry.
One of my undergraduate profs who taught Calc 1 with a story arc often giving historical background and context before introducing the concept.
This did not mean the class was lacking in rigor or that somethings were simply left out, it was more of a bonus.
Computation and proofs can only be so much fun on their own.

As a general rule of thumb, any good teacher should share some relevant history regardless of the subject.
If you really want to learn something well, you'd better know some basic history of it.

 

[Smallcock]

I appreciate that, luvyeah, and can see merit in sprinkling historical context and an interesting story maintain interest. Good teachers do that very well. A bonus for sure, however, I don't think it's required for mastering math. I wouldn't be opposed to the proposal if that turns out to be the purpose, but am I out of line to be skeptical given trends in education? I hope I'm wrong and that the proposal is an addition to, rather than displacement of core concepts.

 

[luvyeah]

I appreciate that, luvyeah, and can see merit in sprinkling historical context and an interesting story maintain interest. Good teachers do that very well. A bonus for sure, however, I don't think it's required for mastering math. I wouldn't be opposed to the proposal if that turns out to be the purpose, but am I out of line to be skeptical given trends in education? I hope I'm wrong and that the proposal is an addition to, rather than displacement of core concepts.

The legislation is most likely a political ploy where they never bothered to consult actual math teachers and want to artificially create problems where they don't exist.
Libtards with be libtards. Not much you can do.

 

[radagast]

The beauty of math is that it is universal. You don't need to speak a word of English to be able to understand mathematics. The principles in math and physics are way beyond such anachronisms such as languages, religion or culture.

The idea that there is universal and objective truth is inconsistent with the beliefs and values of the 'right thinking' crowd. Which is why they hate math so much.