Algebra 1HN compared to AOPS Algebra

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

not even deriving the quadratic formula)

Great job Virgina, removing the math from math class, turning it into trivia class.

Glad that Loudon County rises above Virginia's abhorrently low expectations.

I was abhorred by this lack of depth as well, but let me say some positive things, too.
The class is actually correctly graded - that is, lots of quizzes, tests, and (small but frequent amount of) graded homework. Tests were graded correctly: if you did a wrong step on a multistep problem and got the wrong answer, you got a zero and no partial credit for the other steps. No "projects", "participation grades" and the like, and very very limited opportunities for grade-boosting extra credit (in DC's class, the only extra credit opportunities were test corrections where you could get 25% of the points you lost if you submitted them. He got close to 100%, but not 100% across the many tests and quizzes. I'm tempted to file a FOIA to learn the class GPA because I suspect it's probably not an A. The textbook used was 12 years old - not as good as perhaps a textbook from 20 years ago, but better than the crap that's recently published. A huge contrast to subjects like ELA, Social Science, or Science, where there are no timed tests and lots of "participation grades" just for showing up or submitting something. Despite the shortcomings in the curriculum, I need to give my child's Algebra (and Geometry) MS teachers credit where it's due.

So not only is logic not taught, but attempts to use logic are not given credit? And grading for homework where cheating is a simple matter of photographing the problem in an app?
It just gets worse.

No my friend. Math is an exact science. The final answer matters, not just the steps. This distinguishes A from B students.
Homework counts for a small portion, and students who photograph or use ChatGPT hurt themselves when the tests/quizzes come that count for the other 90%.

You are embarrassing yourself. Go talk to a mathematician or scientist. You are raising your child to be a calculator. Everyone already has a better calculator than your child in their pocket.

You sound like one of my students who insist that their "learning style" is conceptual, and they understand all the "concepts," but just can't do the actual work asked of them.
By the way, calculators are allowed. But no credit for garbage in, garbage out like you seem to want. No credit for effort, either.
You have to understand it *and* be able to do it.