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From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Subtle Math Questions
Message-ID: 
Date: 13 May 91 23:47:03 GMT
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In-reply-to: david.lloyd-jones@rose.uucp's message of 4 May 91 15:03:00 GMT

In article  david.lloyd-jones@rose.uucp
   (DAVID LLOYD-JONES) writes:

 =}My daughters, now 14 and 8, are in the regular Japanese school system,

   I don't have any children in school yet, but one of my hobbies is
education (not teaching though I have done that on occasion, but
examining texts and schools to see how things are done). In particular
I am interested in Mathematics as that is the subject which gets the
worst treatment in US schools.

 =}The Japanese system, generally bad-mouthed as authoritarian and mindless,
 =}seems to me heavy on playfulness, thoroughness and deep understanding.

   Most of the criticism of Japanese schools teaching by rote may be true,
but the math education in Japan is excellent. The children are drilled in
the basics to the point that even long after finishing studying, they
remember the processes involved. Math is taught at a much faster pace
than in the US. I believe the foundations of algebra are layed early in
elementary school and continued through to high school. The reason for
this is thatEvery student is EXPECTED to learn it.

   A case in point: operators
If given 5 + 8 x 2 x 0, most high school graduates can give the correct
value that it represents (even if the don't like math)... They won't
know that the value could change depending upon the notation or why
the value would be what it is, though.

   It might be interesting if people emailed me what they feel the value
of X would be and which notation they are using...

Al