If they are ever planning to take any college-level math classes, yes. Or at least learn that, if they can't factor something, the next step is the quadratic formula.

Well sure, but that's just passing the buck. Why is it important that they learn that in a college math class, either? There are a very few students that are going to be regularly solving quadratic equations in real-world situations (engineers, physicists, etc) - but most of the people in both classes are learning that topic because people have always learned it.

Don't get me wrong: I think quadratic equations are super-cool in and of themselves. So do some of my students, and I think they should have the option of learning that stuff. But my sister doesn't grok them or care about them in general, and I can flat guarantee she can't factor one now. And you know what? She's going to do fine.

In an ideal world I would have a project for the students that love the pure math, that helps them through the idea of how to complete the square, then has them try to complete the square symbolically, and see if they can derive the quadratic formula on their own. Because THAT is good math, and I didn't even think to try it until I was a sophomore in college. But the students like my sister, who would just blink at that sort of thing? They can create an accurate budget for our school play, complete with ideal pricing for refreshments and tickets, instead.

ETA: I never learned the unit circle in class, but having seen it since, I like it. Also, Hil, I think you should look at the Foul Shot problem I gave up above - it is REALLY cool. I think you'd dig it.

Love the unit circle.

Heh. -t shares my unit circle love.

Dude. The hypotenuse is always one! Awesome!

I've never been good at being sure I was remembering the trig functions for common angles correctly, especially getting the signs right, but draw the unit circle and there they are. It's genius.

Bitches is the craft-ier thread, right?

I kitty totally needs one of these: Millennium Falcon Cat Bed

This kittty named Chewbacca looks cozy as ever on his Milennium Falcon cat bed by urka on Craftster.

{{Laga}} I'm sorry. I do indeed understand. You missed my pathetic self pity rant last year when my family failed to get me even one damn present. This year I intend to give the boys and their dad a list with clear instructions on how mom should be treated.

Erin! Dude! Way to represent in the Big Apple. sniff I'm so proud of you.

Ack! So I was planning to show a particular movie to the kids who submitted their papers on time (only about 1/3 of the class) while the others finish their papers, but it turns out I don't have it. I could let them watch the space movie (yes, I can make it relevant), but last time I did that most of them fell asleep. I want to have them do something sort of fun, since they did what they were supposed to, but I can't exactly let them run wild (because they'll want their internet cables, and that's often a bad idea). What do I do with them?

How does asking them to make a short commercial sound? For their favorite product or class or sports team? Hmm... I'll probably get a lot of car ads. That's okay. I just worry they're all so tired of wrestling with the software that not even free rein over their animation will excite them anymore. But what do people think?

I've seen the reign/rein confusion so often now that I just got confused about which one it was. Curse you, Internet!

Despite having to wake up at 4:00 a.m., we had a smooth trip into Tulsa today, despite Southwest's annoying new boarding system. They're not quite Dead to Me, but they are certainly On Notice. Annabel is at grandma's house, while DH and I are in a nearby hotel, the better to give our poor allergic sinuses a daily respite from cat dander. (Also, the better to unwind a bit, get some privacy, enjoy the free high-speed internet access, but who's counting?)

Showing off a bright shiny new tag from my airplane book, Sharpe's Waterloo, since it seems to encapsulate just why I connect to the series above and beyond anything to do with my fascination with the era or adoration of Sean Bean.

Well sure, but that's just passing the buck. Why is it important that they learn that in a college math class, either? There are a very few students that are going to be regularly solving quadratic equations in real-world situations (engineers, physicists, etc) - but most of the people in both classes are learning that topic because people have always learned it.

I was actually just having this conversation with my officemate. Her answer to "Why do we have to learn this?" from her students is "Because you need to learn abstract reasoning skills, and math is the best way to do that. The actual subject matter doesn't matter anywhere near as much as the reasoning."

One of my friends is a professional ballet dancer. She's in a program now where they can take some college courses, in a schedule that's built around their performance schedule. (She started dancing with the professional company right out of high school.) Math was never her strong subject -- she studied enough that she did OK in the middle-level classes, but it was never something she was really great at. She took a calculus class a few years ago -- she has no need for it for a degree, there's no requirement that she take it, but she decided that it was something that she just ought to know. (That reminds me. When she started taking that class, I said that I'd sign up for a dance class, and I haven't done that yet.)

Also, I'd definitely put factoring into the category of "skill" rather than "knowledge." Knowing how to factor, in and of itself, is fairly pointless for most people. However, there are lots of other things that, in order to really understand them, you need to understand quadratic equations -- things like recognizing that the arc taken by a thrown object is a parabola, or seeing how falling objects accelerate, realizing that the amount of energy it takes to move something increases at a faster rate as the velocity increases -- and factoring is a skill that's needed to acquire the knowledge of quadratic equations -- you can't really think about them that much or play around too much if you can't factor them.

I'm not sure that everybody should have to learn it at a scheduled time. But without a major overhaul of the educational system, I don't really see a good alternative.

I was actually just having this conversation with my officemate. Her answer to "Why do we have to learn this?" from her students is "Because you need to learn abstract reasoning skills, and math is the best way to do that. The actual subject matter doesn't matter anywhere near as much as the reasoning."

FWIW, we had a middle-school German teacher use this line on us (about his job being to teach us to learn a language, not just actual German) and we laughed and laughed. Or more precisely. never got over bitching about what a ridiculous notion that was. Man, we were a bunch of horrid little beasts. But the point being, that may not be a convincing answer to that age at least.