[Retired Starman]

There are many interesting facets to this problem.

1. Our educational system was never designed to do what we expect of it now. In the early days of public education, the goal was to each basic reading and arithmetic skills to as many people as possible to make them adequate workers. At that time, it was expected than about 20% would complete elementary and secondary school with the rest dropping out to join the work force. Only about 2% were ever expected to finish four years of college, mostly to become ministers, lawyers, and doctors. We have far exceeded these expectations with about 80% graduating high school and 20% finishing a Bachelors degree. Algebra has always been part of the high school and college curriculum, but we have cut out Greek and Latin, which were once considered necessary. It appears that Algebra has passed the test of time as a valuable subject for all students.

2. When you look closely at nearly every subject, the argument can be made that we really don't need to teach it because it is difficult, boring, and never needed in life. History? Just a bunch of facts about dead guys. Philosophy? Well, my ideas are just as good as anything the philosophers of the ages have said. Literature? Hay, I read what I want. Music Appreciation? If I want to listen to music, I'll use my iPod; besides, most of what they talk about is stuff written by more dead guys. So with the possible exception of Reading, there really isn't much that can't be thrown out.

But I'm of the opinion that a core curriculum, taught to everyone, is a necessary part of our cultural identity--a common knowledge base we all draw on, sometimes subconsciously, in our everyday activities. Look at the cartoons in the New Yorker magazine, for instance. Nearly all require a vast common cultural knowledge base in order to understand. Likewise with things as mundane as T.V. commercials. Take away to core cultural knowledge and you become unable to function effectively in society.

3. Algebra, like all technical subjects has moved more and more from the practical to the theoretical in the past two decades. Personally, I don't like this move since it takes the recognition of the reason for learning away. If I have MY problem to solve, I'm much more interested in learning the theory. Otherwise, the phrase, "Why do we have to learn this, I'm never going to use it," becomes very true. But it is also true that if you don't learn it, you for sure will never use it. Math teachers at one of the school where I have mentored robotics say that the robotics students pick up math concepts quicker than their cohorts who are not in robotics because the robotics students have real world experience to tie the new math concepts to. Ratios for instance, confuse the normal students, while the robotics students see the concept as the theoretical construct they have used with gears and chain sprockets. We need more practical applications to drive the teaching of the theory. If people saw how algebra could help them, they world be more motivated to learn it.

4. Algebra is taught badly in many if not most schools. I've had friends say they were good at language, but not at Algebra. In reality, both math and language are functions of the left side of the brain, which is rational, sequential, linear, and organized. Algebra at its most basic level is the language of mathematics. When people tell me they were good at language and not algebra, I tell them that Algebra is a foreign language with facts and rules that they never learned. To illustrate this, I'll usually say something like this, "I'm thinking of a number. If you multiply my number by three and add four, you get 31. What number am I thinking of?" Most immediately reply with the correct answer, yet freeze up if I present them with the same statement in equation form (3x +4 = 31). Somehow a teacher never conveyed to them the shorthand language nature of Algebra. At the heart of all algebraic statements is the equal sign which should always be understood as "is the same as". If this isn't taught first, people will have trouble with Algebra for ever.

5. In actuality, most students start to fall behind in math with the introduction of fractions, not the introduction of Algebra. By the time many students get to Algebra, they are already hopelessly lost.

6. Should we keep Algebra? Probably so. It is and always has been part of what we consider knowledge common to all educated citizens. Sure, it's a gatekeeper to that Bachelors degree, but I really don't have much of a problem with that. If you want to be an Art Historian but can't pass Algebra does that mean you won't have a degree? Maybe. Does it keep you from taking art history classes to your heart's content? Probably not. Does it mean you won't be a fully educated person in society? Yep, afraid so. Would it motivate you to work harder in Algebra? Probably so, if you want that degree so you can be recognized as an educated citizen.

Well, enough of my ramblings. You might not agree with anything I've put on the table, but I've been thinking about this for at least 45 years and am now entering my curmudgeonly years. I vote to keep Algebra.

Dr. Bob

Chairman's Award is not about building the robot. Every team builds a robot.