Didn't make it to Compacted Math!

[Anonymous]

Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

Well of course language is a more basic skill than math/science. But my point is that we should have higher aspirations and aim for a scientifically and mathematically literate public. As it is we are a nation of climate change and evolution deniers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

You fail to grasp that advanced math is the same as reading and analyzing harder text like Shakespeare. Just as actually knowing Shakespeare is not necessary in 99.99% of careers, neither is calculus. And just like being able to analyze text is necessary in most careers, being able to think highly logically and critically is necessary in a lot careers. This is what advance math teaches, to think logically and critically on a much higher level.

I have a CS degree. No, we don't use calculus when developing software, but we do use complex algorithms. This is where advance math helps. The person has been taught how to think a certain way. Yes, people who haven't taken calculus can become programmers, just as people who haven't read Shakespeare can become lawyers. But, we teach these things in school to ensure that students have mastery of those skills (though the US doesn't seem to be doing a good job of either subject matters as a whole).

BTW, some news report came out that said we need a million STEM graduates in the next 10 yrs. We are not producing enough qualified STEM graduates for the future. That's why we seem to import a lot them. Countries that outscore us in math teach more advanced math than we do in HS.

[Anonymous]

No more arguing about whether you need calculus later in life. Kids who don't get into compacted math still take calculus in high school! These arguments are irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

Well of course language is a more basic skill than math/science. But my point is that we should have higher aspirations and aim for a scientifically and mathematically literate public. As it is we are a nation of climate change and evolution deniers.

That's due to politics, not lack of calculus training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid took calc in 11th after taking precalc in 10th. Went on to do statistics in 12th and is on full scholarship for STEM course in college. Tested out of calc in college, but took it again, because of the one year gap.

How does this relate to kids that are on track to take calc in 12th? Are you trying to suggest that calc in 12th is better so that there is no gap before college math?

Not really. I am trying to say that my kid felt the need to retake Calc because there was a nervousness of feeling that some calc knowledge was lost in the gap year, as well as some trepidation about the college experience and expectation itself.

I do feel that we as parents do tend to overthink things. If you have a great GPA and stellar SAT- the colleges will take you, because they know that you can easily take or retake calc in college. My son have peers who are doing pre-calc in college and they were not dinged for it. Colleges want strong students who can handle the rigor of their program. However, they do not want kids who are experts in their subject when they go to college - that would make college redundant, don't you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

Well of course language is a more basic skill than math/science. But my point is that we should have higher aspirations and aim for a scientifically and mathematically literate public. As it is we are a nation of climate change and evolution deniers.

That's due to politics, not lack of calculus training.

Because it's easy for politicians to manipulate the ignorant!!!

[Anonymous]

^the only republicans I know work with computers or majored in business.

Republicans don't major in liberal arts.

I bet calculus is the root of all evil. I heard that Ted Cruz's favorite subject was calculus. In fact, he started compacted math in K and took calculus in 6th grade.

OP: I think your kid probably dodged a bullet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Name a profession that uses calculus and let's see how many jobs are out there right now for that position. Not worthless but not necessary for 99.99% of college grads.

Shakespeare is also not necessary for an even larger percentage, yet you would probably not argue that it's useless (nor would I).

But more to the point, that's a sorry state of affairs if 99.9% of college graduates work in jobs that only require rudimentary math skills. We should be working to change *that*. And to change the attitude that it's ok to not know much (or anything) about math or science yet it's socially unacceptable not to have read and analyzed poetry.

Because language trumps math.

Of course we need scientists, engineers and computer programmers.

But the majority of professional careers simply don't require math and science. Even computer programming barely uses calculus (google it).

By contrast, nearly every profession requires strong writing skills (or at least decent writing skills). Reading Shakespeare gets you there when you have to analyze it in a term paper. Of course, nowadays most students email their papers to Mommy so she can proofread and edit it. Crazy. And that's the real issue: fretting over compacted math for your third grader because you are already fixating on college...this won't end well.

You fail to grasp that advanced math is the same as reading and analyzing harder text like Shakespeare. Just as actually knowing Shakespeare is not necessary in 99.99% of careers, neither is calculus. And just like being able to analyze text is necessary in most careers, being able to think highly logically and critically is necessary in a lot careers. This is what advance math teaches, to think logically and critically on a much higher level.

I have a CS degree. No, we don't use calculus when developing software, but we do use complex algorithms. This is where advance math helps. The person has been taught how to think a certain way. Yes, people who haven't taken calculus can become programmers, just as people who haven't read Shakespeare can become lawyers. But, we teach these things in school to ensure that students have mastery of those skills (though the US doesn't seem to be doing a good job of either subject matters as a whole).

BTW, some news report came out that said we need a million STEM graduates in the next 10 yrs. We are not producing enough qualified STEM graduates for the future. That's why we seem to import a lot them. Countries that outscore us in math teach more advanced math than we do in HS.

Even those of us in STEM don't use Calculus. Doctors don't use Calculus. Chemists and Biologists by far don't need it. It's not the matter of Americans not going into STEM. It's a matter of no matter what country you from most careers don't have a use for Calculus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Even those of us in STEM don't use Calculus. Doctors don't use Calculus. Chemists and Biologists by far don't need it. It's not the matter of Americans not going into STEM. It's a matter of no matter what country you from most careers don't have a use for Calculus.

Aw, somebody had a bad calculus teacher. I'm sorry, PP. I truly am. Calculus is a way of understanding the world, and therefore worth learning for its own sake.

[Anonymous]

Stop worrying. My kid is a history person and he didn't take calculus at his big three, he took statistics because he thought it would be more useful for his interests. He was admitted to an ivy.

[Anonymous]

^That's poppycock and you know it.

[Anonymous]

I am glad u think you know my son better than I do. He won an international award for music and published an article in a serious history journal. He didn't take calculus and had his pick of top 20 schools. Colleges like kids that are stand outs in all different ways, The idea that you have to be in the most advanced sys stem blets is a myth if you stand out in another way.