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Why wouldn't you just let everyone take the same class and the same exams, but let the kids who have interest do extra work? Want to do calculus a year early? H

Why wouldn't you just let everyone take the same class and the same exams, but let the kids who have interest do extra work? Want to do calculus a year early? Here's the book, here's the exercises, why would I stop you?

cool_dude85 5y ago
What you suggest is already the case. The book and exercises are "here" for you to do, nobody to stop you. It's called the internet. The calculus police doesn't come get you if you're reading a calc book in 10th grade. It's just that you don't have any way of getting instruction or school credit - so you are very unlikely to be successful, and not very likely to have your university credit you as having mastered the material without taking a college class.
- throwawayboise 5y ago
  Any high schooler can take the AP calculus test and earn credit, no?
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dahfizz 5y ago
Because that's inefficient. A class geared towards the bottom 50% of kids is going to waste a lot of time for the top 50% of kids. Simply giving the gifted kids more homework just wastes more time, and hardly encourages them to reach their potential.
leaflets2 5y ago
I think the teacher sometimes says and explains things to the whole class, and if what the teacher says, or homework s/he has prepared, applies only to 5 out of 25 kids, the others can get bored and unmotivated, sometimes even start disturbing the others. And sometimes the kids talk with each other about the maths problems. But that won't work so well if they're in different books. Simpler for both the teacher and students, if those in a class are at roughly the same level. But I do think that what you say, would work in a group where everyone is pretty good at maths, enjoy it so much so "yes I got a new book" they think (when they get the next book). And dive into it, no matter if there's a teacher there or not. That's not generally the case though is it

cool_dude85 5y ago

What you suggest is already the case. The book and exercises are "here" for you to do, nobody to stop you. It's called the internet. The calculus police doesn't come get you if you're reading a calc book in 10th grade. It's just that you don't have any way of getting instruction or school credit - so you are very unlikely to be successful, and not very likely to have your university credit you as having mastered the material without taking a college class.

throwawayboise 5y ago
Any high schooler can take the AP calculus test and earn credit, no?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
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dahfizz 5y ago

Because that's inefficient. A class geared towards the bottom 50% of kids is going to waste a lot of time for the top 50% of kids. Simply giving the gifted kids more homework just wastes more time, and hardly encourages them to reach their potential.

leaflets2 5y ago

I think the teacher sometimes says and explains things to the whole class, and if what the teacher says, or homework s/he has prepared, applies only to 5 out of 25 kids, the others can get bored and unmotivated, sometimes even start disturbing the others. And sometimes the kids talk with each other about the maths problems. But that won't work so well if they're in different books. Simpler for both the teacher and students, if those in a class are at roughly the same level. But I do think that what you say, would work in a group where everyone is pretty good at maths, enjoy it so much so "yes I got a new book" they think (when they get the next book). And dive into it, no matter if there's a teacher there or not. That's not generally the case though is it