tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post930604408527338165..comments2024-03-06T09:18:35.326-07:00Comments on Crossing the Helix: Math Rant: College ProfessorsR.C. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15694900270053314978noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-67204775142873341322011-09-17T19:43:23.186-06:002011-09-17T19:43:23.186-06:00Ooh, *shudder*, Moon.
That randomly reminded me o...Ooh, *shudder*, Moon.<br /><br />That randomly reminded me of one of my courses—it was either multi-variable calc or differential equations. Half the students were engineering majors, and the other half were math ed majors (like me).<br /><br />That teacher was actually one of the pretty good ones, but the poor guy didn't have a chance. Every time one of the math ed majors asked why something worked, the engineers protested that they just wanted to know how to use it.R.C. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15694900270053314978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-38646149791013573552011-09-17T19:38:52.701-06:002011-09-17T19:38:52.701-06:00*shudder* The same here. At the school I attend, w...*shudder* The same here. At the school I attend, we've got a particular class that all liberal arts majors have to pass in order to graduate. 75% of them fail the first time, and that's an optimistic that considers everybody that got private tutoring or had a predisposition for math. Part of the problem is that it's taught in a way that a lot of us can't understand-- they give us crap about marbles and playing cards, when we understand the same concepts perfectly when they're talking about human beings (calculating a 35-year-old woman's probability of getting breast cancer, as opposed to calculating her probability of drawing a red marble out of a bag. Somehow the difference in framing actually changes how well Lib.Arts majors answer. Guess which one's on the test.)<br /><br />It doesn't help that, at my school, at least, they'll cram hundreds of these lost and confused students in with a single prof.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262225989339629381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-61987137255991547992011-09-17T19:20:03.417-06:002011-09-17T19:20:03.417-06:00Generally, yes, that's definitely a possible f...Generally, yes, that's definitely a possible factor. I remember in one of my classes, I was lucky to figure out the professor was basically reciting the textbook, because understanding through the accent didn't work so well.<br /><br />In this particular situation, the student is a "talker," so the language barrier for her was reduced from what it might have been.R.C. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15694900270053314978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-50380111656668155712011-09-17T19:11:11.119-06:002011-09-17T19:11:11.119-06:00You briefly touched on something that maybe is als...You briefly touched on something that maybe is also a more significant factor... Language barrier. Now in the example mentioned, clearly the student (and interpreter) worked to some end to try to overcome that. Then I think about my experience at then-UVSC with Asian math teacher Ya Li. I don't doubt that she was excellent at College Algebra, but English was clearly not her first language. Several student and I would stare blankly at the board and try to figure out the steps and process just from what was there.<br /><br />Even when we could understand her, I think she still lacked teaching experience to be an effective teacher. This could be because <i><b>she</b></i> may have had difficulty learning to be a teacher from non-Asian professors.Big Brother Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-71878589923794756572011-09-17T19:02:30.949-06:002011-09-17T19:02:30.949-06:00So glad I'm not alone in this, Francesca. :)
...So glad I'm not alone in this, Francesca. :)<br /><br />I mean, I *do* think math is fun, and I think that attitude helps my students feel like it's more approachable. But especially because my priority is making sure they understand, even if I have to explain the same thing four different ways.<br /><br />(And believe me, coming up with the third or fourth way to explain can really make my brain hurt.)R.C. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15694900270053314978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2224377501657529009.post-38141228905455061192011-09-17T18:58:51.701-06:002011-09-17T18:58:51.701-06:00Oh God, do I understand this. My Calculus professo...Oh God, do I understand this. My Calculus professor is absolutely brilliant, but he goes through things so fast that half the class doesn't even realize he's gone through a section of the book until he's already on to the next one. Luckily I took AP Calc in high school and I already know most of what he's teaching, but most of the rest of my classmates (the ones who aren't the brilliant, 'multi-variable calculus is fun!' students) are left in the dust.Francesca Zappiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16876692064254806825noreply@blogger.com