You people still have not complete the 2006 survey; consequently, I can not publish the results at Lessonplans.com.
So much time has past that I think you will never complete the survey.
I'm wondering why you have neglected to complete the survey.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Adolescent Whimsy and Their Conjectures
During adolescent most children go though a stage that I call whimsy. It went unnoticed by me until I first witnessed it when playing with my grandchildren. I wonder what percentage of grade school and middle school teachers fail to realize that their students go though the same whimsical stage of life.
I recently watched a 6th grade math teacher ask a student, “What is your conjecture?” The student quickly answered the question. [I had a major problem with the word: conjecture. She could have asked, “What is your guess?”] The only conjecture that has any creditability in mathematics is one made by a Ph.D. mathematician. Not one made by a 6th grade math student who is likely in their whimsical state of life. I recall Charles M. making a helicopter in my shed and painting it with my spray cans. He was 11 at the time. He had it built, painted and doing a test flight within an hour. We should be teaching at their level and realize that their life likely can be described with one word: whimsy.
I recently watched a 6th grade math teacher ask a student, “What is your conjecture?” The student quickly answered the question. [I had a major problem with the word: conjecture. She could have asked, “What is your guess?”] The only conjecture that has any creditability in mathematics is one made by a Ph.D. mathematician. Not one made by a 6th grade math student who is likely in their whimsical state of life. I recall Charles M. making a helicopter in my shed and painting it with my spray cans. He was 11 at the time. He had it built, painted and doing a test flight within an hour. We should be teaching at their level and realize that their life likely can be described with one word: whimsy.