Mathematical Preparation of the Technical Work Force Report of a Workshop (1995) / Chapter Skim
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POSITION PAPERS
POSITION PAPERS
Pages 29-54
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From page 31... ...
project titled 'Voluntary Industry Standards for CPI Technical Workers" has issued a draft set of standards that addresses the two occupations of chemical laboratory technician and process technical operator. The mission of these projects is to present an industry consensus about the knowledge and skills required for employees to perform their jobs well.
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From page 32... ...
She is primarily responsible for technical mathematics instruction at Penn State York and has developed postsecondary standards for the mathematics portfolio assessment of the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program. I believe that before we can determine the best approach to teaching mathematics that will prepare students for what comes after secondary school, we need to look at how students learn.
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From page 33... ...
This is particularly true for those students who have not yet been excited or intrigued by theory and concepts probably the vast majority of students who are headed for technical programs. One real benefit of teaching practical applications is they can be the stepping stone between fundamentals and theory.
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From page 34... ...
nd remediation poses an additional consideration: are technical mathematics students to study the same remedial mathematics as other students? TECHNICAL MATHEMATICS AS A GENERAL EDUCATION CON ROE In Texas, all college students seeking an ssociate of Science degree are required to take a minimum of 35 general education hours, including six of mathematics.
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From page 35... ...
· MATHEMATICS FOR THE TECHNICAL WORK FORCE All mathematics courses (K-16) should integrate preparation for the technical work force into the curriculum.
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From page 36... ...
. 1 I n order to function successfully in our ever-changing and highly technological society, all students must have fundamental knowledge in mathematics such as recommended by the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.
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From page 37... ...
These concepts are the prerequisites to a functions-based precalculus course of study as well as to college-level discrete mathematics, probability, and statistics. The demands of today's workplace require that students entering the technical work force through tech-prep programs, 2+2 programs, or youth apprenticeships learn more mathematics, and that baccalaureate-prep students learn how to apply what they know.
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From page 38... ...
Unfortunately for the reputation of mathematics, a lot of high school mathematics has been vilified in the past, and probably will continue to be in the future as having no practical purpose whatsoever. The same could be said of other academic subjects in high school which are not in technical education programs.
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From page 39... ...
There are those who argue that the obligation of high school mathematics is to prepare students for college, and there are others who take the more European point of view that secondary school has an obligation to prepare all students for careers as well as for further education. Most educators will not deny the validity of any of these three positions, though they may question how much of each is good for whom.
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From page 41... ...
As we increase attention to these process standards, mathematics education will tend to move away from the relatively linear, abstract, formulaic, and solitary approach of traditional high school mathematics and more toward an exploratory, incontext, problem-solving, and cooperative endeavor. This is moving closer to what is normally thought of as vocational education; indeed, an often explicit assumption is that students in school should be learning and using mathematics in ways that reflect how they will be using mathematics in the workplace.
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From page 42... ...
hat this concern often boils down to is this: What will be the impact of a standards-based mathematics curriculum on the traditional precalculus sequence of courses that dominates the high school curriculum, and on the students who currently take these courses? This sequence was designed for the "small elite" that pursue scientific careers and in many ways has served them well.
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From page 43... ...
Should I "dumb it down" to meet their expectations? I was struggling with this for several years until I became involved with the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program (PYAP)
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From page 44... ...
(Of course, the skill and research of the author matters greatly.) Similarly, when students learn mathematics in a tech-prep rather than in a college-prep program, or study engineering technology (at the college level)
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From page 46... ...
For this to happen, the core curriculum needs to extend as broadly and deeply as possible into the secondary school mathematics program. While this may be a tall order, it is not impossible.
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From page 47... ...
It is vital that these communities work together to improve education rather than remain isolated from one another or, even worse, regard one another with antipathy. Most discussions today call for programs that assure that students acquire communication skills, problem-solving skills, computer and other technolo ical skills, analytical skills, team participation skills, work ethics, and applied skills.
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From page 48... ...
Can mathematics be taught using a "just in time" concept or must students know the mathematics first? · 48 ~ WILLIAM THOMAS The University of Toledo Technical and Community College WILLIAM THOMAS is associate Professor Or the Department of Technical Science and Mathematics at the University of Toledo Community and Technical College where he also serves as the Developmental Mathematics Specialist and Workplace Numeracy Consultant.
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From page 49... ...
T here are many issues to talk about: mathematics for the technical work force; science for the technical work force; integrating academic and vocational education; the curriculum for workbased learning; improving the "standards" students achieve in key fields of academic and workplace competency; developing and introducing technology education; etc.
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From page 50... ...
The idea of "curriculum integration" is consistent with the philosophy driving all three reforms. Unfortunately, however, in the context of the development and implementation of curriculum frameworks, curriculum integration tends to be ignored.
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From page 51... ...
Applied to the voca tional education curriculum, an emphasis on technology education moves the focus away from the routine practice of psycho-motor skills, such as lathing or soldering, and re-focuses the student's attention on the more complex and responsible task of designing, building, using, and evaluating artifacts to solve both individual and societal problems. Work-based learning links science and mathematics learning with learning at real worksites.
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From page 52... ...
Building on a vision of reform in curriculum and pedagogy for K-12 mathematics proposed in the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathe matics, the AMATYC Standards extends this vision to the first two years of college, while particularizing its goals to meet the needs of diverse adult learners in the college setting. These Standards propose for technical programs a rich, hands-on, technology-based, applications-driven curriculum in which students will not only learn mathematics in interesting, applied contexts but also will learn how to learn mathematics to prepare for the life-long learning necessitated by the changing workplace.
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From page 53... ...
Formal presentations of selected projects helps to develop the ability to communicate mathematical concepts. A strong mathematics curriculum can integrate the development of skills necessary for solid academic work and real world applications.
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