Project Targets Approach to Math at Community Colleges
Texas students who enroll in community colleges and are placed in developmental courses to bring them up to speed are roughly 50 percent less likely to graduate or transfer to a four-year university, according to the Texas Association of Community Colleges. Math courses are a particular hang-up for students, which is why the organization is teaming up with the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin to rethink the state’s approach to math education.
“We need systemic solutions to the problems of community college mathematics, and those need to build on the good insights of ...
Comments (2)
audrey fisher
This sounds like a "lip-stick" on a pig approach.
It ignores the problem that math education in OMG High School is failing all the students.
This is a lowering of the bar or shoving what should be taught to all high school students upwards to the Community colleges.
The long term problem associated with every high school student having a basic grasp of math is that they will never understand how many are pushing reports with faulty statistics and number's on them.
Yes, math may be difficult and TX is trying to make it even harder by forcing Math Educator's out of the teaching profession and replace them with those not qualified to teach Math. Or maybe we are suppose to overlook that most obvious fact! Reading a textbook and regurgitating examples of how to solve simple algebraic equations is not teaching - but that is what is being promoted by the State of Texas!
Patt Snyder
The problem is with the way they are teaching math. Problems need to be related to real life situations and not theoretical concept. Give them problems where they are balancing the load on a semi trailer and calculating the medications for patients. Situations that people in those careers encounter every day and students will see practical aplication and relevance.
It also exposes the student to potential job or career opportunities. As soon as students see letters of the alphabet they freeze and say they can't do it.