Higher
Level Math:
Why Students Need it Now
More than Ever
Parent Spot
for Parents of High School Students
Whether they love
it, struggle with it or are just plain indifferent to it, the one
thing most students want to know, particularly when they're sweating
it out studying for the Math A Regents, is WHY...why do I need to
take all of this math? After all, the math they use in their
everyday lives to calculate grades or plan out their finances may
seem so far removed from learning functions, cosines and imaginary
numbers.
Yet the workplace
is changing rapidly. The old-fashioned manufacturing jobs that
required more brawn than brain are disappearing, and new high-tech
jobs are springing up in their place. Indeed, New York State is
actively seeking to transform its economy by attracting new
industries, ranging from biotechnology to nanotechnology. These
industries will offer high paying jobs, many of which surprisingly
will require only a high school or a two-year college degree. But
unlike days of old, those degrees will have to include a solid
training in math, science and technology.
Meanwhile, the
more traditional vocations in our society will continue to demand
greater math literacy. For example, today's auto mechanics use
higher level math principles in virtually all aspects of their jobs,
from adjusting alignments and calibrating gears to diagnosing what
is wrong with an engine. Likewise, nurses use a breadth of math
knowledge, as well as problem-solving and reasoning skills to not
only carry out their daily duties but also to make life or death
decisions.
And then there
are all those so-called non-math professions that due to advances in
technology now require a mathematical mind. Good examples of these
are musicians who compose songs using sophisticated computer
software and graphic designers who create web designs using high
level mathematical reasoning.
That's not to say
students going out into the modern workplace will have to endure
high-level mathematical "tedium." Indeed, a mechanical
engineer who has worked in the nuclear power business for the last
35 years says that computers have changed his job dramatically,
allowing him to do calculations in seconds that used to take him
hours or even days. Instead, his work now focuses on "coming up
quickly with logical answers to difficult problems," but it is
through years of studying and applying math that he has gained the
mental discipline to be able to do that.
The more math
the better
Regardless of
your teen's interests or plans for the future, math will likely play
a significant role. Though the value of algebra and geometry may not
always seem readily apparent, skills like reasoning and problem
solving - which are basic underpinnings of all mathematical studies
- are what employers across the board look for in the people they
hire.
That is why the
New York State Board of Regents now requires all students to take
three years of high school math and pass the Math A Regents to
graduate. For now, a score of 55-64 will earn a student a local
diploma, while a score of 65 or above will earn a student a Regents
diploma. However, the 55 low-pass option will be phased out with the
class of 2008 (today's eighth graders). For certain students with
disabilities who enter grade nine prior to September 2010 and who
fail the Math A exam, the requirements for a local diploma may be
met by passing the Regents Competency Test in math or its
equivalent.
Few kids at the
high school level know for sure what they will be doing for the rest
of their lives. For this reason, guidance counselors recommend that
all students stretch themselves and take as many math courses as
they can, going even beyond the three-year requirement. This breadth
of knowledge will help them become better problem-solvers in all
facets of their lives, not just the workplace. It will also prevent
them from having the door slammed in their face on a future vocation
or career.
Math and the
fastest growing professions
Here is what the U.S. Department
of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will be some of the
fastest growing occupations over the next decade. In most, a working
knowledge of higher level math is required. In all, an ability to
reason and solve problems effectively-skills that are honed through
the study of math-will be vital for success.
-
Actors
-
Administrative
assistants and executive secretaries
-
Advertising
and promotions managers
-
Astronomers
and physicists
-
Auto
technicians and supervisors
-
Biomedical
scientists
-
Chiropractors
-
Clergy
-
College-level
teachers
-
Cooks
-
Computer and
information scientists
-
Computer
network administrators
-
Computer
software engineers
-
Counselors
(educational & vocational)
-
Customer
service representatives
-
Data
communications analysts
-
Database
administrators
-
Dental
hygienists
-
Desktop
publishers
-
Elementary
teachers
-
Fitness
trainers
-
Hairdressers
-
Interpreters
and translators
-
Lawyers,
paralegals and legal assistants
-
Medical
records technicians
-
Optometrists
-
Personal and
home health-care aides
-
Pharmacists
-
Physical
therapists and assistants
-
Physicians,
surgeons and medical assistants
-
Private
detectives Psychologists
-
Public
relations practitioners
-
Nurses
-
Retail
salespeople and managers
-
Speech-language
pathologists
-
Substance
abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
-
Telecommunications
line installers and repairers
-
Truck drivers
-
Transportation,
storage and distribution managers
-
Veterinarians
and technicians
For permission to reprint this
article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications
Service by e-mailing us at dbushsuf@gw.neric.org.
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