One of the biggest problems with my statistics class this year has been the way it was advertised last year, before I was hired. The math sequence at my school goes like this: pre-algebra, transition to algebra (for students who have completed pre-alg but aren’t ready for Alg. I), Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, trig/pre-cal, and calculus or AP calculus.
Until this year, most students didn’t take any more math after Algebra II. However, the state recently added another math credit to the graduation requirements, and that meant that almost everyone would now need to take an additional math course after Algebra II. However, they (rightly) didn’t want to water down the trig/pre-cal classes, so they added statistics and told the weaker Algebra II students to sign up for stats because it would be “easy.” I know they meant “easier than trig/pre-cal” and they may have even said that, but what the students heard was “easy.” And I get reminded about it every time we start a new topic and ever time the statistics classes don’t do as well on a test as they would like.
“I thought this class was going to be easy!”
“Why do we have to do this? This class is supposed to be easy!”
“I don’t know why I took this class. It’s ruining my GPA! It was supposed to be EASY!”
I think it IS easy, but, as I mentioned, the kids in my statistics classes are the weaker math students. In fact, I think they are weaker in general, not because they are less intelligent, but because they don’t ever think about what we’re learning. In general, they want things they can memorize; they don’t want to use any common sense, and they don’t want to apply anything to the real world EVER. No word problems, please — and statistics is just rife with word problems.
I know that there needs to be a course for students who aren’t ready for (or don’t need) trig/pre-cal, but I think it doesn’t quite do justice to the discipline of statistics to make it the default choice for the weakest math students. It’s a very interesting course, with tons of real-world application. It deserves a lot more respect.
Now that I’m aware of the misperception, I’m gearing up to combat it before next year. I’m sure I’ll do a better job of presenting the material after having taught the course this year (so it actually will be easier, simply because I’ll do a better job of explaining it). Also, I hope that some of the juniors who are in trig/pre-cal this year will take statistics as an elective next year. And finally, I’m going to see if there’s not another course we could offer our weaker post-Algebra II students that might serve their needs better than statistics. It seems to me that an additional algebra course might do them more good in college (and possibly on the ACT) than statistics.
5 responses so far ↓
Lauren // January 27, 2008 at 11:31 pm
I understand what you have said about the “easy” classes that students want to take instead of taking calculus. It is a lot like having “easy” teachers teach classes. When students go to sign up for classes and want an easier way out. When they choose like that they are not taking into consideration the way they learn and what might be easier for them to learn. While statistics has a lot of word problems Calculus does not have as many and while one teacher might teach one way you might understand another teacher better.
This generation is very big on memorization. If they took the time to actually look at the material and understand it it would make so much more sense but since they are always doing something they don’t really take the time to do that.
Another big thing is teenagers are being given what they want and are not working as much as they have been in the past. This creates the idea that they can do that with schoolwork as well.
I like the thought you gave about teaching stats the following year.
Jon // January 28, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I do not think that offering the weaker students a course in Statistics is the best option. Statistics is its own form of mathematics that can be just as challenging as calculus or any other subject. I think you have the right idea in suggesting another Algebra class for the weaker students, so they could more fully develop and build on the skills they have already learned, rather than starting a new area of a subject they likely don’t enjoy.
Lim Ee Hai // February 2, 2008 at 10:08 am
I noticed that when the students are not ready to learn, it takes much effort to tirgger their lazy mind. As you said, they are intelligent, which I fully agree. They are just not able to see the benefits of learning maths. Presentation of lesson comes into play for them. They need to know why they are learning this and learning that. I do show them real life examples, if possible, with the hope that they are made ready to learn. Sometime, I enticed them into learning by starting off simple and giving them the confidence.
From: Principle of Mathematics
jd2718 // February 3, 2008 at 10:57 am
We have humanities-strong kids in logic. I use a college text (Hurley, looking at Copi), from which I select a large chunk of material.
It’s a close call, awarding math credit, but it really gets math credit in some colleges, so I think we are safe.
That’s one term. We would do a general discrete course the other term, but since it’s me, and I like counting, we have an elective called “combinatorics.” That one’s still hard, but I do lots of games, make the grading scale favor homework over tests, and convince them they are having fun. Don’t know if it would come close to working without my enthusiasm for the topic.
Jonathan
Alane Tentoni // February 4, 2008 at 6:14 am
@Jonathan -
Mississippi does offer a discrete math course that’s one semester. Most schools that offer it teach a one-semester advanced algebra course during the other semester. Maybe that would be an option. Does your school teach statistics? If so, what type of students are taking it? I would like to get a feel for whether this is the default post-Algebra II class at other schools as well.
I agree that the instructor’s enthusiasm for the course has a lot to do with its success. I’m learning this along with them, so I don’t have a huge store of examples or interesting stories or games or experiments for them to do. I think when I have built up all of those things, this will be a really good course. But I still plan to squash this idea that it’s a sop course.
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