Book Description

Excerpt from First-Year Mathematics for Secondary Schools The course of study in American high schools is in process of extensive change. The change commenced with the introduction of new subjects. At first science began to compete with the older subjects; then came manual training, commercial and agricultural subjects, the fine arts, and a whole series of new literary courses. In the beginning the traditional subjects saw no reason for mixing in this forward movement, and such phrases as "regular studies," "substantial subjects," and "serious courses" were frequently heard as evidences of the complacent satisfaction with which the well-established departments viewed the struggles for place of the newer subjects. Today, however, the teachers of mathematics and classics are less anxious than formerly to be classified apart. Even the more conservative now write books on why they do as they do and they speak with a certain vehemence which betokens anxiety. They also prepare many editions of their familiar type of textbook, saying of each that it is something which is both old and new. All these indications make it clear that the change in the high-school curriculum which began with the introduction of new subjects will not come to an end until many changes have been made in the traditional subjects also. Over against the obstinate conservatism of some teachers is to be set the vigorous movement within all subjects to fit them effectively to the needs of students. The interest of today is in supervised study, in better modes of helping students to think, in economy of human energy and enthusiasm. This means inevitably a reworking of the subjects taught in the schools. It is the opportunity of this generation of teachers to work out the changes that are needed to make courses more productive for mental life and growth. During this process of reform, mathematics has changed perhaps less than any other subject. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.