Discussion on Education Opportunities on MSE

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ACuriousMind

09:14

→ 28 messages moved to Trashcan

I already said this the last time I had to remove messages of this sort in a math chat, but apparently it needs to be said again: If you don't see yourself having a constructive conversation with another user, ignore them instead of lashing out. If they insult you, flag it instead of insulting back. Casting aspersions on another user, especially based on difficult-to-verify assertions about their past behaviour, is not constructive behaviour.

4 hours later…

nitsua60

13:05

@amWhy I've got some similar concerns along this line. I think that the more tightly-drawn the boundaries can be, the better it's going to go for coordinators and participants. This is why specifying a text strikes me as such an important bit of signaling.

Personally, I'm worried about a coordinator putting forward a HS-level treatment getting all sorts of flak for "that's not calculus, there aren't enough $\delta-\epsilon$ proofs!" And if they are including plenty of those, flak from a different direction because their discussion of continuity didn't look at cuts enough. Because no matter where a teacher draws the line between calculus and analysis, someone around here's going to be thinking "that's not really a course in calculus."

All with good intentions and experience, mind you.

6 hours later…

Donald Splutterwit

19:18

Just read this post math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/26864/… ... I could not possibly volunteer to be a course leader, but am interested in being a student & could easily be persuaded to assist someone ... in any capacity that I can.

Simply Beautiful Art

19:39

@heather @DonaldSplutterwit I fear I may not be able to make it on Saturday, due to foreseen power outages and natural phenomenon along the Eastern Coast of the US. If such occurs, I'd like to leave you the following resources to go through:
Paul's online notes: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/LimitsIntro.aspx
Khan academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/calculus-home
3blue1brown's calculus series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUvTyaaNkzM&list=PLZHQObOWTQDMsr9K-rj53DwVRMYO3t5Yr

:( Life throws some curve balls sometimes

amWhy

@SimplyBeautifulArt mhm... it certainly does. Good resource selections, btw!

Simply Beautiful Art

@amWhy Thanks

Hope the hurricane doesn't hit my town :-/

It skimmed us last year x.x the beach-side was destroyed. Feel sorry for some of my friends who's roofs just got rebuilt over the summer.

amWhy

@SimplyBeautifulArt Oh, my! I'll cross my fingers for you, and everyone confronting such a potentially destructive force!

@SimplyBeautifulArt Just wondering, is there an expectation that potential students would be advised to have learned? High-school algebra, analytic geometry, trig? Those are just guesses. I didn't want to say "prerequisite", but more "expectations* or *competency assumed in .... .... * Just a thought. Something to think about before Saturday, or.... subsequently.

Simply Beautiful Art

20:01

@amWhy Yes, thanks.

@amWhy Oh true, thanks for the thought. But the three listed potential users to show up I know (or know well enough), and I think they pass as far as algebra goes, maybe not so much the latter two, though while the last two help, I personally don't find them necessary. Just be able to take the area under a rectangle and a triangle and they should be fine.

amWhy

@SimplyBeautifulArt Well that's good then. I really didn't imply "enforcement (e.g. prerequisites), only making a statement about the basis in math that is "assumed" in a calculus class. But you seem to have a handle on that.

@ACuriousMind Not clear what you mean by "last time"? And to be honest, I really am not clear on who or what you are addressin

But I trust you felt there was good reason for deletion of some posts. Thanks!

Typhon

21:14

@nitsua60 A decent introductory course on calculus should explain the basics of limit manipulation and give a few examples of proofs. In my eyes, calculus is less about limits and more about derivatives, integrals, series, and other geometric properties of functions that are useful. Honestly though, that's where a specific (online) resource of some kind could be selected and followed along with. That way people know at least what to expect and can do problems and such.

I don't think people will give flak for "not enough proofs" when the class isn't about proof writing or deriving calculus formulae

but I mean really it's all a matter of what people prefer

people in college's teach it differently all the time. Maybe skipping one chapter or another due to personal preference

I'm more concerned about whether or not SBA and Heather can handle it.

I should point out though that @SimplyBeautifulArt is definitely quite skilled with analysis. So, regardless of teaching abilities we can't doubt their ability to come up with a decent plan of what to teach. Who knows, if it is interesting enough, maybe I'll pop in once in a while to hear about advanced stuff. XD

(assuming it isn't geared towards high schoolers in which case I might pop by to see how its going)

@ACuriousMind We were all having a great discussion about past events on the site. We didn't have any issues and it was a perfectly calm discussion. Why were you even called here? There wasn't even anything rude stated. We were just having a nice discussion together.... I think either you or someone else is overreacting. Also, where is there a rule saying all discussions need to be purposeful? Are we not allowed to have random fun conversations with each other?

@amWhy Well calculus in some circles is 'defined' as the geometric properties of the graphs of functions. So, I would argue that if you don't at least know what graphs are, what geometry is, and what functions are that you don't even belong in a group looking for calculus courses to take, let alone choosing to take one on this site.

tbh, that's where a syllabus is needed

which reminds me that i need to write one up for my stuff

ugh

amWhy

@Typhon I agree! Hence, I suggested that potential "students" have a good foundation in basic algebra, analytic geometry, and trig.

Typhon

@amWhy "analytic geometry" no. definite no.

analytic geometry is actually a course that requires multivariate as a prerequisite at my institution

assuming you refer to Euclidean geometry involving vectors isometric transformations and a little spherical geometry as well

if not

then the proper term might be "high school level geometry"

amWhy

21:30

@Typhon fair enough

Typhon

or in some circles "theoretic geometry" if i remember correctly. (i.e. geometry based around proving theorems in the abstract case with minor polygonal volumes and areas sprinkled in)

brb

2 hours later…

Simply Beautiful Art

23:14

@Typhon High school analytic geometry is actually much more simple. More or less geometry + some basic manipulations and stuff. At least at my school.