[ExI] google classroom, was: RE: Meta question

William Flynn Wallace foozler83 at gmail.com
Sat Aug 20 23:50:45 UTC 2016


Given those criteria, how many discrete skills would you estimate are
required to go from start to end of first semester calculus?  Or another
way to ask: if you were designing a complete start to end of differential
calculus training regime, how many skills would you estimate you will need
to create for an average student?  spike

Huh??  Didn't I ever tell you that I stopped with college algebra?  I could
not do that exercise even for algebra, or, come to think of it, any skill
whatsoever from ping pong to operating a skilsaw

I've checked my knowledge for a long time by remembering the makeup of the
Supreme Court.  You are right, history, geography skills are appalling as
we are so often reminded by news articles.

bill w

On Sat, Aug 20, 2016 at 5:45 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> *From:* extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] *On
> Behalf Of *William Flynn Wallace
> *Sent:* Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:55 PM
> *To:* ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [ExI] google classroom, was: RE: Meta question
>
>
>
> Result: a sharp motivated student can get from basic addition to
> calculus in four years rather than the usual twelve, and once they do, they
> know everything in between much better and can use it far more effectively.
>
>
>
> spike
>
>
>
> >…Now History - I never had a good teacher and think that maybe it can't
> be taught any way at all.  I never made above a C in it except for Ancient
> History (easier teacher probably, as it was not a popular course).  Ss
> should be given a History DVD and tested later.  No need for a teacher!
>
>
>
> bill w
>
>
>
>
>
> BillW, let us use that comment as a jumping off point and look
> specifically at history please.
>
>
>
> This is a perfect example of the shortcomings of traditional teaching
> imposed on us by the inherent limitations of classroom constraints.  As in
> mathematics, some students will get it immediately, others eventually, some
> never, but it is easy enough to verify that in our own country, the
> collective understanding of history is anywhere from appalling to something
> worse than that.  It isn’t just a song: we don’t know much about history,
> even those of us who do know what a slide rule is for.
>
>
>
> Since you and I are Americans, do this experiment: ask a few fellow yanks
> if they know the location of Helsinki.  The blanks stares you will get from
> most is better than those who attempt it: Yup, ah know where’s Helsinki.
> Bad people go there when they die.  The really bad ones keep right on
> sinkin’ down and end up in Hail-sinki.
>
>
>
> I exaggerate.  But not by much.  I would be surprised if 20% of yanks can
> name the country.  We yanks are not given a good overall view of history or
> geo-politics.  Our formal education on this general area is sketchy,
> piecemeal, designed by committee.
>
>
>
> Do let me return to math for the following thought experiment.
>
>
>
> Imagine teaching a child from start of first grade up through the top
> level a high school student generally attains, which would be the
> equivalent of about through the first semester of calculus.  Imagine all
> the mathematics included in those 12 years of instruction, and imagine
> parsing it into skills.  I leave you to define those skills any way you
> want, but Khan did so with about 8 to 10 minute lectures, followed by four
> levels of practice, typically about five exercises in each level, then a
> final assessment to achieve mastery in that skill.  So in general, a skill
> would take a typical student about half an hour average.
>
>
>
> The areas will include arithmetic, the algebra, the geometry,
> trigonometry, numerical analysis, probability and statistics, modeling,
> analytic geometry, pre-calculus, all the way up thru and including
> differential (but not integral) calculus.
>
>
>
> Given those criteria, how many discrete skills would you estimate are
> required to go from start to end of first semester calculus?  Or another
> way to ask: if you were designing a complete start to end of differential
> calculus training regime, how many skills would you estimate you will need
> to create for an average student?
>
>
>
> You may work backwards if you wish: estimate the number of hours of study,
> and time per skill.
>
>
>
> Don’t look up Sal Khan’s skill breakdown before you estimate it on your
> own.
>
>
>
> Ready, set, GO!
>
>
>
> spike
>
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