Another day, another person banging the STEM drum.
Today we’re supposedly learning about The case for making maths mandatory in high school.
Except we’re learning nothing of the sort.
What we are learning is that the author is incapable of composing a paragraph containing more than one sentence.
This is very annoying.
We are also learning nothing about mathematics education.
This is also very annoying.
We are learning, however, that a sequence of tendentious and unsupported and unconnected dot points makes for a boring and pointless newspaper column.
We are learning all this from Kim Wenn, the retiring CIO of Tabcorp.
This is perfect.
Either no one fact-checked this SMH article (which is possible, but doubtful) or suddenly there is a University offering a BS degree. The S standing for STEM, but alternative ideas in this case probably equally valid.
The one saving grace in a sea of pathetic (and quite old) ideas is that the author chose not to fall into the STEAM or STEAMED or STREAM trap.
Actually, that isn’t really a saving grace – STEM is and will always be a four letter word. Like some others that come to mind.
Well, it’s Fairfax: facts and checking aren’t the highest priority.
All of the commenters used normal paragraphs (except the very last one, wonder if influenced by you.) I’m not against some shorter paragraphs in newspapers (especially) or on the web (not as short as papers, but still). But…yeah…that was just hard to read.
Also, of course her reasoning was very unsophisticated. There are obviously cost benefits (diminishing returns, option value, etc.) Are we going to make everyone study math in uni (even those capable, but who don’t need it)? But her article was just a random splat of bromides…including a rah rah about making math fun. Ugg!
The single-sentence paragraph is almost standard in Australian newspapers, but Wenn was beyond even the standard absurdity. And, her argument was absurd.