At the beginning of the year you were told that you had 2 choices for geometry next year. Analytic Geometry was for students who achieved a 90% grade average (strong B or an A). Those who achieved a grade average between 76 (C-) and 89 (B) were to go to regular Geometry.
For a variety of reasons the math department has decided to put all the geometry students in the same class, a course named Geometry and Trig. Students who pass either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1B will be together.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it a good idea in your opinion? What are the pro's and con's?
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22 comments:
I just don't understand why the teachers would decide to do something like that. I mean, some kids need a challenge, and being in the same class with kids who are challenged is not fair, because both groups have different academic needs that might not necessarily be met by being pooled into one combined course. I understand that those kids who are achieving success in math have the chance to take Geometry and Trigonometry this summer in order to be able to be in Algebra 2 next year, but for some, that will not be possible.
Of course, it will be great for those students who are mathematically inclined, and are seeking an easy A, and again, that is unfair to those students who are struggling in math. These different types of individuals need to be in classes where there specific needs are met, so I have to ask the question again, why are two separate classes formed into one? What's going to happen next? Will Advanced Biology and Biology be pressed together? And while they're at it, why not just take out Humanities as well? Bay Port is being a bit hypocrytical, I think. The staff says they are striving to create the most intensive courses they can, and push their students to take the most rigorous classes they can, but then they do something stupid like delete Analytic and regular Geometry and make Geometry and Trigonometry.
If you guys can't tell, I think the class is a horrible idea, and if the same thing happens to any of the other subjects, I will be terribly disappointed.
I think that there are many pros and cons to this change. I personally go both ways on this issue.
I think that it is good that they did this because some people's minds are more algebraic and others are more geometric, and I don't think it's fair for the people who have good algebraic minds to get into the high geometry class when the people with the good geometric minds get stuck in the lower geometry class, because they weren't good at algebra. Another good thing about this change, is that it'll be easier to complete this course.
Although there are many good things about this change, there are also a few negative things. One bad thing about this change is that for the people who would've made it into analytic geometry, that would've looked better on college applications-opposed to just plain, old geometry. Another bad thing about this change is that they're going to need a lot more teachers, because their are so many more students for geometry, then there ever were before.
I think that this change could go wither way for me. I guess we'll just have to wait until next yeart o find out.
I personaly kind of think its stupid. If I am in a class that is too easy I get bored and stop trying. So I think that the students that could handle the higher geometry should be in the higher geometry. Some people just get things like that and some people just dont...
Why are these classes being combined, anyway?
well as long as this is the highst class that i can take for my grade lv I am happy because of the profession that I would like to go it to, alot of math is needed so i dont think that it will afect me much
I do not get why you would take away analytic geometry, when people who excel in math, be lowered to an easier math. The kids who do better in math would not get to learn or try harder problems. I think that it should be a goal for kids to get a 90% or what ever it was, to go to a higher math class. It is taking away an opportunity to try newer and more dificult material, to help them learn more. Some kids will like this in a way, of getting an easy A.
i think that the math department from the start should have had only one goemetry class. i think this becuase then they wouldnt have to worry about all the stuff they are going throug for next year. If it was me i would have just had geometry and if u had a high grade put them in algebra 2.
I agree with Shannon in how some kids need the challenge or may just end up being an easy A. I also agree with her in how the students who are strugleing in math will be very difficult. For some students the class may be going to slow and for others it may be going to fast. I think that they should still be seperated to met the needs of all the students.
Yeah its a pretty diverse question but i personally think that having them seperate is a good idea. I thinkt this because it doesn't make anyone feel dumb it just gets your comfortable with the material like for us we had the choice between algebra 1a and regular algebra depending on how you did. So that people wouldn't get behind or people would get bored like aly said. So i think this new idea is pretty dumb.
I dont really understand why they decided to put the two into one class. It is unfair to the people who would have been in analytic and the people who would have been in geometry. The people who earned a high enough grade in algabra should have been able to get into analytic and be challenged. The people in geometry will now have to be in a class that is a little faster than it would have been. I also dont think that it is a good idea to have all kinds of students with different learning levels in one classroom together.
I think it is a bad idea because the class will contain a wide variety of skill levels. It will have students from a high "A" grade to students with a low "D". I think just passing a class isn't enough because next year the "D" kids will hold everyone back and they'll probably scratch out a solid "D" for it and move on the next year. Its not fair for everyone.
Wow, this is really going to be a change for us next year. I think there are pros and cons to both sides of this issue.
In a way it is a bad thing because then again, they are lumping us together again just like they did last year. Which means when somebody gets a problem and another person just can't understand it, one kid may start showing signs of bordom such as eye rolling and sighs. I would have to agree with shannon in saying that all of us kids have many different math needs and lumping us all together isn't going to do everybody any good.
Also it could be a good thing because that means there is one less math course to take. It would allow room for me to double up on math if i feel the need to do so. and it may also help the kids who didn't do so good in algebra. (because the kids who don't do as well in the algebra end normally find they are good in geometry)
My question is how has the course changed from them cobinig two classes. are we still getting the some ammount of knowldege or are they just focusing on the main points?
Ither way i am excited to take geometry next year!
It would be interesting to hear the views of the faculty members who came up with this whole idea (ahem, ahem, Mrs. Kasprzyk). There's no point in discussing this without hear both sides of the plan.
The decision to merge the 2 classes back into 1 was a department decision, one in which the geometry teachers had a lot of input. There were a variety of factors including the fact that we use the student's algebra grade to determine placement in geometry, which is not always consistent. Some students may be better at spatial relationships (i.e. geometry) than abstract concepts such as those found in algebra. These students would have been placed in the slower paced class when in fact their abilities would have been better suited for the advanced. The converse is true; some students who excelled in algebra struggle in geometry.
In merging the 2 levels, the aim of the department is to keep the course at a rigorous level while providing a pace that works well for students.
From a teacher's perspective it is nice at times to have a mixture of abilities. The level of questions asked in a classroom discussion is raised, and all students can gain insights that may not have surfaced otherwise .
There are pro's and con's to every decision; the math department feels this decision will provide a good foundation in geometry for all students.
From what I heard the classes were basically the same except that in analyitic you got a bit of trig. So I really don't think that it's that big of a deal because they both lead to the same math junior year.
I enjoy a challege, I hate it when teachers teach you things that you already know or are really easy. I fyou do not have a challenge in school you will not try things that are hard in life. I just don't undrerstand why teachers decided to put Analytic and Regular Geometry together. People who are stuck in a class that may be easy to them, will be hard to others. It may be an easy A to some people. I dont know if this was the best idea but we will have to see how it works out at the end of sophmore year.
I think they should of kept it the way it was because some kids need a higher level and some kids need a lower level. For some kids who are struggling in math right now might have problems. For those who are doing really good are probably going to easily pass the class. Those people should be put into a harder class so they can have a challenge.
I think that it is not a good idea for the teachers to put all of us in the same class. I think that the students who want to push themselves should have the option of going into a higher class, and not being even with the rest of the kids. I also think that it is not a good idea because some kids might get bored in that class when to others it is a strugle.
I think that there should be two classes because some kids need to be challenged more. Some kids will get bored in geometry and not put as much effort into the class as others. There should be analytic geometry for those that think geometry is too easy, and that way they can move up a level to challenge themselves more. If analytic geometry is too hard for them, they can just drop down to geometry instead of dropping down from geometry to algebra or a lower math class.
I think it isn't a good idea to take away Analytic because now kids that understand math this year will not try as hard now because they know now that there isn't anything extra at the end of the tunnel if they try hard, we are all going to the same thing. Also, kids that exel at math should be able to go on to higer math because they would just be wasting there potential.
I think that it is a good thing that these two are now joined. I like the fact that we will all be learning the same thing. Although some kids may want to be challenged. But I think it will be easier for everyone now.
I think that the two classes shouldn't be combined because if someone in algebra 1 has an A or higher, and an algebra 1B has a C or D, and they get put in the same class, it wouldn't be fair to the student who is higher up, or to the student who is lower down. I also think that the course requirements may be a hassle. I am sure that some teachers teach the cirriculum differently, and I'm positive that different levels of math are taught differently, so some things will have to be re-taught in order for the whole class to understand a concept, which is time consuming and somewhat pointless. (everyone in the class will know the material, and now they will be re-learning it.)
I agree with shannon when she says that this class is a really bad idea. I also will be disappointed.
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