Blair STEM magnet experience - deep math and/or real world problem solving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

They are 2 different programs.
If your kid is more into Engineering, choose Wheaton.
If he is more into Computer Science, choose Blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

They are 2 different programs.
If your kid is more into Engineering, choose Wheaton.
If he is more into Computer Science, choose Blair

This is a deep misunderstanding. Blair SMCS has specialized lab-intensive classes in Science, Math, and Computer Science. Students choose where to focus.

Both programs have plenty of "hands on" options, but Blair SMCS *in addition* leans more toward intensive academics for MIT style students.

And for the ignorant Functions PP, Blair SMCS versions of courses assume students know the basics or can pick it up quickly in a day instead of a week per basic topic, and spend their time on deeper/harder/broader topics that are nominally on the same course subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think parents say that to justify sending their kids. It’s the same classes. They accelerate kids in slower math tracks. It adds an extra class to the day and little choice in classes. It’s great for some kids but look at it carefully. We declined.

The same classes? No it is not.

Functions is a consolidated math class. They aren't going deeper if they are doing two years of math into one. They are doing less math and a child who started Algebra in 6th.

Please translate into English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think parents say that to justify sending their kids. It’s the same classes. They accelerate kids in slower math tracks. It adds an extra class to the day and little choice in classes. It’s great for some kids but look at it carefully. We declined.

The same classes? No it is not.

Functions is a consolidated math class. They aren't going deeper if they are doing two years of math into one. They are doing less math and a child who started Algebra in 6th.

Please translate into English.

PP is saying that, if a student start Algebra in 6, they are doing precalculus in 9th, therefore completing precalculus at 9th, same as blaire students. Since Blaire students packed the most dense material (algebra 2 plus precalculus) into 1 year, they have probably covered it in less depth than a MCPS student who started algebra 2 in 6th and spread it over more time.

In theory. In practice, I am assuming most blaire students are coming with a much stronger background than a mere MCPS algebra 2 in 6th. My own kid, who bill be applying to Blaire, is only in MCPS geometry in 8th. However, he has been doing much more advanced math through aops, contests math etc. And they are a mere candidate, not an actual student.

I am assuming most of the actual students there are like that, or better, allowing teachers to teach as if the students have already mastered large parts of algebra 2 and precalculus despite appearing new to this material. That's a very different from an average MCPS precalculus class where many students were accelerated without actually grasping the material and very few are already fluent in what will be taught that year.

Many years ago I went to a magnet HS myself. I didn't have any computer science background, like, literally knew nothing, but a lot of kids did it as their hobby, and the teacher just moved through the material as if everyone was doing high level programming for several years. Catching up with these kids was incredibly difficult. I am kinda assuming Blaire math is something like that.

[Anonymous]

How many Blair kids go to mit every year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

They are 2 different programs.
If your kid is more into Engineering, choose Wheaton.
If he is more into Computer Science, choose Blair

This is a deep misunderstanding. Blair SMCS has specialized lab-intensive classes in Science, Math, and Computer Science. Students choose where to focus.

Both programs have plenty of "hands on" options, but Blair SMCS *in addition* leans more toward intensive academics for MIT style students.

And for the ignorant Functions PP, Blair SMCS versions of courses assume students know the basics or can pick it up quickly in a day instead of a week per basic topic, and spend their time on deeper/harder/broader topics that are nominally on the same course subject.

PP you quoted. What's the deep misunderstanding?

[Anonymous]

My Blair senior did some pretty intense hands-on projects in 9th, and the Senior Research work (summer before senior year) was hands-on lab and design work in the area they actually want to study. We didn’t look at Wheaton, so I don’t know how it compares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The extra period is really an issue for many kids. It adds an additional course so it can compound stress and also take away time they could spend on other activities. Wheaton does not have that.

Definitely not for everyone. My 9th grader loves it; we were told that the coursework is academic challanging yet enjoyable (for the first time).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

Those two programs are like apples and oranges. Blair magnet is many levels higher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think parents say that to justify sending their kids. It’s the same classes. They accelerate kids in slower math tracks. It adds an extra class to the day and little choice in classes. It’s great for some kids but look at it carefully. We declined.

The same classes? No it is not.

Functions is a consolidated math class. They aren't going deeper if they are doing two years of math into one. They are doing less math and a child who started Algebra in 6th.

Please translate into English.

PP is saying that, if a student start Algebra in 6, they are doing precalculus in 9th, therefore completing precalculus at 9th, same as blaire students. Since Blaire students packed the most dense material (algebra 2 plus precalculus) into 1 year, they have probably covered it in less depth than a MCPS student who started algebra 2 in 6th and spread it over more time.

In theory. In practice, I am assuming most blaire students are coming with a much stronger background than a mere MCPS algebra 2 in 6th. My own kid, who bill be applying to Blaire, is only in MCPS geometry in 8th. However, he has been doing much more advanced math through aops, contests math etc. And they are a mere candidate, not an actual student.

I am assuming most of the actual students there are like that, or better, allowing teachers to teach as if the students have already mastered large parts of algebra 2 and precalculus despite appearing new to this material. That's a very different from an average MCPS precalculus class where many students were accelerated without actually grasping the material and very few are already fluent in what will be taught that year.

Many years ago I went to a magnet HS myself. I didn't have any computer science background, like, literally knew nothing, but a lot of kids did it as their hobby, and the teacher just moved through the material as if everyone was doing high level programming for several years. Catching up with these kids was incredibly difficult. I am kinda assuming Blaire math is something like that.

+10 for my kid and their peers at Blair Magnet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

Those two programs are like apples and oranges. Blair magnet is many levels higher[/quote]
Not necessarily. They have different focus.

-Blair alum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

Those two programs are like apples and oranges. Blair magnet is many levels higher

Not necessarily. They have different focus.

-Blair alum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

They are 2 different programs.
If your kid is more into Engineering, choose Wheaton.
If he is more into Computer Science, choose Blair

computer science, scient or math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

Those two programs are like apples and oranges. Blair magnet is many levels higher

Not necessarily. They have different focus.

-Blair alum

Exactly, and they both send plenty of students to the top universities in the country. Although also being a math magnet, Blair does have higher level math than Wheaton. But it's not a contest. Wheaton students would at least have multivariable calculus which may be right for engineering. Like you say, different focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[list]Recently someone said the STEM magnet at Blair is focused on equations and individual work, while the Engineering program at Wheaton is more hands on, group work, and using math in action. My kids loves math and engineering, and is most interested in hands on projects and problem solving. Any insight from someone in the Magnet at Blair? Is it really just nose to the board equation solving? We are planning to go to the open house, but was hoping to hear feedback here as well. Thank you!

They are 2 different programs.
If your kid is more into Engineering, choose Wheaton.
If he is more into Computer Science, choose Blair

choose blair for computer science, science or math in fact of the 3 cs is their weaker area