"John Knight" <johnknight at usa.com> wrote in message
news:SB109.23218$Fq6.2519518 at news2.west.cox.net...
> "Parse Tree" <parsetree at hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:6OY%8.9020$DN4.1599084 at news20.bellglobal.com...> > "John Knight" <johnknight at usa.com> wrote in message
> > news:6%X%8.20564$Fq6.2432440 at news2.west.cox.net...> > >
> > > "Parse Tree" <parsetree at hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:cnC%8.10455$sb5.1055241 at news20.bellglobal.com...> > > > "John Knight" <johnknight at usa.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:tOB%8.17816$Fq6.2124556 at news2.west.cox.net...> > > > > "Zayton" <zayton at bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> > > > > news:n4m%8.1374$ND5.293745 at e3500-atl2.usenetserver.com...> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It means, more specifically that Asian educational systems teach
> > > > > techniques
> > > > > > for taking eurocentric tests.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Joe
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Bunk. Asians couldn't care less about taking "eurocentric" tests.
> > None
> > > > of
> > > > > the Asian countries who beat the pants off us at the 8th grade
level
> > > even
> > > > > bothered to take the 12th grade test, because they already knew
what
> > > TIMSS
> > > > > was supposed to discover for them.
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you "think" that 95% of Japanese high school gradutes COMPLETE
> > > calculus
> > > > > just because they emulate "eurocentric" tests? Heck, no. It's
> partly
> > > > > because they recognize the value of calculus, partly because
they're
> > > > > *capable* of learning calculus, and partly because all their
> teachers
> > > > *know*
> > > > > calculus.
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you know why less than 5% of American students even take
calculus
> > in
> > > > high
> > > > > school? Because 12 years of an "American" public "education"
makes
> > them
> > > > > uneducable--they CANNOT comprehend calculus, many of their
teachers
> > > don't
> > > > > even know the multiplication tables, much less calculus, so most
> > > American
> > > > > students don't even know the value of calculus.
> > > > >
> > > > > Math is an international language. There's nothing at all
> > "eurocentric"
> > > > > about a math test.
> > > >
> > > > Actually, Math is based on axioms. Since these axioms were created
in
> > > > Europe, it could be viewed as a very eurocentric system. Also, the
> > > majority
> > > > of theorems were written and proven in the western world.
> > > >
> > > > Also, strictly speaking, calculus isn't incredibly useful. Higher
> level
> > > > algebra is much more so.
> > >
> > > This is not correct. The Asians developed math even before Europeans
> did.
> >
> > This is not true. There is very little asian mathematics.
> >
> > Calculus is entirely western.
> >
> > > And you forgot to add "it's my opinion" to "calculus isn't incredibly
> > > useful", because the opposite and far more credible opinion is that by
> the
> > > Japanese (and the Koreans, Singaporeans, Taiwanese, Germans, French,
> > > English, Norwegians, Swiss, Swedes, and even Italians and Spaniards)
> that
> > > calculus is important enough to make sure that every student has the
> > > opportunity to learn it.
> >
> > I didn't see any questions on linear algebra on that test. And I mean
> real
> > linear algebra, not the grade 5 translation thing they try to pawn off
as
> > linear algebra. The test seems catered to what the people learn.
> >
> > Please point me to some, if I am mistaken.
> >
> > > The simple fact that we no longer do that, but USED to, should make
you
> > > wonder why so many people disagree with you.
> >
> > My professors always thought that linear algebra was more important.
> >
> > > ps--I forgot to add that I believe you're a complete and total dunce
for
> > > even saying this, but maybe you already knew that?
> >
> > You're a dunce for disagreeing. Higher algebra is used far more often.
> > Particularly in computer science, the field that generally uses the most
> > math (since it is much larger than physics). Aside from basic
Integration
> > and Differentiation, calculus isn't very important. Partial
differential
> > equations and tensors really aren't important for most things.
>> You write as if though students can have either linear algebra or
calculus,
> which ignores that 95% of Japanese students and 65% of German students
learn
> both (AND that even American public "schools" used to teach both).
No. These schools only teach linear algebra to people who want to learn it.
And even that isn't REAL linear algebra. It's simplified so that high
school students can understand it. No country in the world has eigenvalues
as part of its mandatory high school ciriculum.
> The most progressive scientific R&D is now in those two countries, and not
> the US, because American school graduates don't even know the basics.
> Because of this failure by our schools, most researchers and engineers IN
> THE US are now foreign-educated where they DID learn math.
I disagree. In the realm of computer science, Japan is relatively backward.
It's not as bad as the UK, but it doesn't rival Canada or even the US.
