Comments for Casting Out Nines http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com education | teaching | math | technology Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:07:21 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Where the money for your calculus book goes by Leviathan http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/where-the-money-for-your-calculus-book-goes/#comment-17868 Leviathan Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:07:21 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1702#comment-17868 Generally, the author's royalty on academic texts and books is between 1%-8% of net sales profit. Not gross revenue. Net sales profit. With that kind of profit 'sharing', the number of academics who 'get rich' from writing textbooks--as noted above--is incredibly small. As a writer of academic material, you also have zero say over how your book is priced or if it is produced in less expensive forms (e.g., paperback or electronic). If Prof. Stewart has done well from his textbook, it is because other academics recognize its value as a teaching resource. A high volume of students therefore buy it because it is listed as a required text in their syllabi. In other words, he has earned it. Therefore, many people are going after the wrong part of the equation. Blame the publishers who both determine recommended selling prices and the insane practice of yearly edition changes, even in disciplines that are relatively static--like calculus. Generally, the author’s royalty on academic texts and books is between 1%-8% of net sales profit. Not gross revenue. Net sales profit. With that kind of profit ’sharing’, the number of academics who ‘get rich’ from writing textbooks–as noted above–is incredibly small.

As a writer of academic material, you also have zero say over how your book is priced or if it is produced in less expensive forms (e.g., paperback or electronic).

If Prof. Stewart has done well from his textbook, it is because other academics recognize its value as a teaching resource. A high volume of students therefore buy it because it is listed as a required text in their syllabi. In other words, he has earned it.

Therefore, many people are going after the wrong part of the equation. Blame the publishers who both determine recommended selling prices and the insane practice of yearly edition changes, even in disciplines that are relatively static–like calculus.

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by F.T.A.s http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17867 F.T.A.s Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:15:47 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17867 Give the students instruction which fits helping them to make mathematical sense of what they will study IN Mathematics and WITH Mathematics. Start with Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, and Geometry. With those, and with further mathematical maturity which comes from using Mathematics and study of Trigonometry and Calculus, students will be better able to make sense of at least "Elementary" Statistics. There is a good reason why many "Elementary" Statistics courses at community colleges show "Intermediate Algebra" as a prerequisite. Beginning level Statistics uses many features of the intermediate level of Algebra (as well as some ideas typically outside of regular Intermediate Algebra). Give the students instruction which fits helping them to make mathematical sense of what they will study IN Mathematics and WITH Mathematics. Start with Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, and Geometry. With those, and with further mathematical maturity which comes from using Mathematics and study of Trigonometry and Calculus, students will be better able to make sense of at least “Elementary” Statistics. There is a good reason why many “Elementary” Statistics courses at community colleges show “Intermediate Algebra” as a prerequisite. Beginning level Statistics uses many features of the intermediate level of Algebra (as well as some ideas typically outside of regular Intermediate Algebra).

]]> Comment on Free textbooks: It can be done by Estella von koln http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/free-textbooks-it-can-be-done/#comment-17866 Estella von koln Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:29:15 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1708#comment-17866 I know lots of students are a bit annoyed that it’s still hard to find many publishers that offer proper free textbooks for students like me. I just found this site a few weeks ago though, www.bookboon.com and these guys publish a huge range of textbooks and every single textbook is made available to download free of charge in a compatible pdf e-book format with no registration. It’s a totally 100% free textbook solution perfect for new Kindle owners like me looking for good and free academic content! They actually just put up a new accounting series, really good used the ones on Liabilities and Equity and Balanced Scorecard this year as prep for my acca exams. There is also a facebook app with all the books on, http://apps.facebook.com/bookboon Check it out guys… I know lots of students are a bit annoyed that it’s still hard to find many publishers that offer proper free textbooks for students like me. I just found this site a few weeks ago though, http://www.bookboon.com and these guys publish a huge range of textbooks and every single textbook is made available to download free of charge in a compatible pdf e-book format with no registration. It’s a totally 100% free textbook solution perfect for new Kindle owners like me looking for good and free academic content!

They actually just put up a new accounting series, really good used the ones on Liabilities and Equity and Balanced Scorecard this year as prep for my acca exams. There is also a facebook app with all the books on, http://apps.facebook.com/bookboon Check it out guys…

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by Cathy http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17865 Cathy Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:10:31 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17865 I think it is very hard to teach statistics with anything more than a "black-box" approach if students do not have a solid foundation in calculus. I also find it quite odd that Dr Benjamin puts statistics in the discrete maths camp (I think maybe he means combinatorial probability, rather than statistics). Many of the great statistical thinkers of the 20th century (eg Kolmogorov) were actually analysts, after all. I think it is very hard to teach statistics with anything more than a “black-box” approach if students do not have a solid foundation in calculus. I also find it quite odd that Dr Benjamin puts statistics in the discrete maths camp (I think maybe he means combinatorial probability, rather than statistics). Many of the great statistical thinkers of the 20th century (eg Kolmogorov) were actually analysts, after all.

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by watchmath http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17864 watchmath Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:29:42 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17864 I agree with John above about his concerned of statistics proposal. I am more incline to Polya proposal that math should be taught as problem solving. This skill will be useful although the student won't take any math course anymore. I agree with John above about his concerned of statistics proposal. I am more incline to Polya proposal that math should be taught as problem solving. This skill will be useful although the student won’t take any math course anymore.

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by John http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17860 John Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:16:05 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17860 I like the idea of focusing on discrete math because, as you say, the background requirements are less. High schools could, for example, offer a rigorous number theory class. Such a class could focus on quality rather than quantity, covering little material but covering it well. But I'm concerned about the statistics proposal. I find it very difficult to work with people who have had a hack statistics class and think they understand more than they do. I bet not one person in a hundred who knows how to calculate a p-value actually <a href="http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2008/02/07/most-published-research-results-are-false/" rel="nofollow">knows what it means</a>. I'm afraid that a high school statistics requirement would increase the ranks of those who know enough to be dangerous. I like the idea of focusing on discrete math because, as you say, the background requirements are less. High schools could, for example, offer a rigorous number theory class. Such a class could focus on quality rather than quantity, covering little material but covering it well.

But I’m concerned about the statistics proposal. I find it very difficult to work with people who have had a hack statistics class and think they understand more than they do. I bet not one person in a hundred who knows how to calculate a p-value actually knows what it means. I’m afraid that a high school statistics requirement would increase the ranks of those who know enough to be dangerous.

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by jd2718 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17859 jd2718 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:20:41 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17859 The problems are arithmetic and algebra, the bases, not which direction we go on from. The appeal of stats and probability is that they need less foundation. Unfortunately, they are, while procedurally easier, conceptually difficult. And, as you point out, calculus is a reasonable summit for many.... Do we cheat them? Jonathan The problems are arithmetic and algebra, the bases, not which direction we go on from.

The appeal of stats and probability is that they need less foundation. Unfortunately, they are, while procedurally easier, conceptually difficult.

And, as you point out, calculus is a reasonable summit for many…. Do we cheat them?

Jonathan

]]> Comment on Changing the summit of math education? by bloomemm http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/changing-the-summit-of-math-education/#comment-17858 bloomemm Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:56:41 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1742#comment-17858 Hi, I am new to wordpress, but I came across your blog. Never truely being an enthusiast of mathmatics, I have always admired those who understood its nature. In college however, when I took statistics, I found it particularly useful and, as Dr. Benjamin so thoughtfully exlamined, fun. A child of social science, it appears in almost every Libral Arts class. I certainly agree with you and other who support that the educational pyramid in mathmatics should conclude with statistics and *cough* a foundation to micro- and macro-economics. Hi, I am new to wordpress, but I came across your blog. Never truely being an enthusiast of mathmatics, I have always admired those who understood its nature. In college however, when I took statistics, I found it particularly useful and, as Dr. Benjamin so thoughtfully exlamined, fun. A child of social science, it appears in almost every Libral Arts class. I certainly agree with you and other who support that the educational pyramid in mathmatics should conclude with statistics and *cough* a foundation to micro- and macro-economics.

]]> Comment on Gender differences in math: Cultural, not biological by Will Farris http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/gender-differences-in-math-cultural-not-biological/#comment-17840 Will Farris Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:09:27 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1739#comment-17840 Mike, you hit the nail on the head and drove it through the board! It is the downside of capitalism, the least economic evil of all the other systems out there in that it at least allows for the greed factor (Winston Churchill quote). But there is a law of diminishing returns going on. Once a certain level of satisfaction is reached then any additional effort for an incremental gain is deemed by most as not worth it. Which I guess is OK as long as there are plenty of people who do go on further and achieve ever greater things to make up for the government and society covering for everybody else's missteps. it is very obvious that the spirit of America is waning (historic cycles are inevitable) right now, and probably nothing short of something of a revamping of the very foundations of govenment will correct the situation. Mike, you hit the nail on the head and drove it through the board! It is the downside of capitalism, the least economic evil of all the other systems out there in that it at least allows for the greed factor (Winston Churchill quote). But there is a law of diminishing returns going on. Once a certain level of satisfaction is reached then any additional effort for an incremental gain is deemed by most as not worth it. Which I guess is OK as long as there are plenty of people who do go on further and achieve ever greater things to make up for the government and society covering for everybody else’s missteps. it is very obvious that the spirit of America is waning (historic cycles are inevitable) right now, and probably nothing short of something of a revamping of the very foundations of govenment will correct the situation.

]]> Comment on Should everyone go to college? by Jewelry Casting http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/should-everyone-go-to-college/#comment-17838 Jewelry Casting Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:04:38 +0000 http://castingoutnines.wordpress.com/?p=1734#comment-17838 Fast Answer--NO. It's a dis-service to those forced to go and to those who really want to. Fast Answer–NO. It’s a dis-service to those forced to go and to those who really want to.

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