A Visit to the Middle School
I finally managed to go to visit our local middle school this morning (after several abortive attempts, me cancelling one apointment and the counselor losing my phone number).
Overall it was very nice. It just opened last fall, so the building is nice and new. I was impressed by how generally quiet it was. Granted it wasn't lunch time - and most of the time there weren't students in the halls, but even when there were students in the halls it was decent.
Some of the things seem a bit odd, like offering French as a 9 week elective to the 6th and 7th graders, but not as a class for 8th grade. No, Spanish is offered as a full year class for 8th grade, but not French. Huh? Makes no sense to me. The counselor said that may change - perhaps they will get another teacher next year.
They also have a drama room and an after school drama club, but no drama class. Again, they are hoping to get a teacher at some point.
I'm more than a little upset about what I heard about math classes, though. It seems that they have changed how math will be taught (I knew that mostly) - they are changing from discrete Algebra and Geometry classes to teaching some of each, in each class. Seems odd to me, but supposedly other states are already doing this and liking it, so OK. But then someone (the state? the school board in our county? I'm not sure which) has decided that everyone will take the same math each year. Meaning, no chance to get ahead a year in math. Grrrrr. Up until this point kids could take Algebra I in 7th, 8th or 9th grade, depending upon scores, grades, teacher recommendations, parents, etc. Now it seems that no one will take the equivalent of Algebra I until 9th grade. What a waste of time! There just isn't that much math between 5th grade and Algebra to learn - at least not for the bright kids. If some of them are currently learning it in 1 year, why should it take everyone 3 years now???
D says that he has heard that it is a state mandate. He says that his school (Magnet school for Science and Technology) is still trying to figure out how to deal with this. Currently all their students must have passed Algebra I in the 8th grade with at least a B. In a few years, that won't be possible, it seems.
I feel like I twiddled my thumbs through much of 6th and 7th grade math and I hated it. Until we got to pre-algebra, which I enjoyed - yes, I'm odd that way. I liked most math - all the way up to (but not including) Vector Calculus.
Overall it was very nice. It just opened last fall, so the building is nice and new. I was impressed by how generally quiet it was. Granted it wasn't lunch time - and most of the time there weren't students in the halls, but even when there were students in the halls it was decent.
Some of the things seem a bit odd, like offering French as a 9 week elective to the 6th and 7th graders, but not as a class for 8th grade. No, Spanish is offered as a full year class for 8th grade, but not French. Huh? Makes no sense to me. The counselor said that may change - perhaps they will get another teacher next year.
They also have a drama room and an after school drama club, but no drama class. Again, they are hoping to get a teacher at some point.
I'm more than a little upset about what I heard about math classes, though. It seems that they have changed how math will be taught (I knew that mostly) - they are changing from discrete Algebra and Geometry classes to teaching some of each, in each class. Seems odd to me, but supposedly other states are already doing this and liking it, so OK. But then someone (the state? the school board in our county? I'm not sure which) has decided that everyone will take the same math each year. Meaning, no chance to get ahead a year in math. Grrrrr. Up until this point kids could take Algebra I in 7th, 8th or 9th grade, depending upon scores, grades, teacher recommendations, parents, etc. Now it seems that no one will take the equivalent of Algebra I until 9th grade. What a waste of time! There just isn't that much math between 5th grade and Algebra to learn - at least not for the bright kids. If some of them are currently learning it in 1 year, why should it take everyone 3 years now???
D says that he has heard that it is a state mandate. He says that his school (Magnet school for Science and Technology) is still trying to figure out how to deal with this. Currently all their students must have passed Algebra I in the 8th grade with at least a B. In a few years, that won't be possible, it seems.
I feel like I twiddled my thumbs through much of 6th and 7th grade math and I hated it. Until we got to pre-algebra, which I enjoyed - yes, I'm odd that way. I liked most math - all the way up to (but not including) Vector Calculus.
Labels: education
posted by owlfan at 9:37 PM
2 Comments:
Arrrrrrghghhh! Kabamamabooom! Etc.
(Insert sound of head-exploding over math curriculum here). Just because they do it in other states doesn't mean it's right. I mean, if everybody jumped off a cliff, should GA do it too? (I'm practicing up on that line for when J needs it (vbg))
Ask if there's a path that results in calculus in high school. If kids take algebra I in 9th grade, then there's no real way to get there without missing important stuff. And calculus in HS is kind of important for pursuing careers in math/sciences, even if you take it again in college.
Our school district does the "hidden algebra" thing too, and you only know if you got algebra I if you get recommended into geometry in 9th grade. If you get recommended into Alg I in 9th grade, then you didn't get it in 8th grade. The kicker is that all kids are taking the same class in 8th grade. Huh?
Yes, I've found that there is an accelerated path that leads to calculus in HS. In fact, I think I'll do a whole 'nother post on this.
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