Princeton Trades Classics for Diversity?

“Imagine a software engineering class that doesn’t make students learn computer code. That should give you some idea how ridiculous it is that Princeton University is no longer requiring classics majors to learn Greek or Latin. Not zoology students or English majors, but classics students. You know, the folks who study Greek and Latin culture.” - Breakpoint

Discussion

That is the thing. Everyone personalizes this. Its the system that has been operating for centuries.

[Mark_Smith]

That is the thing. Everyone personalizes this. Its the system that has been operating for centuries.

So you say I need to change my teaching in accordance with contemporary American racial needs.

I ask what that would look like in an international context.

You say that question is part of the problem.

And you wonder why people consider this all suspect.

[Andrew K]
Mark_Smith wrote:

That is the thing. Everyone personalizes this. Its the system that has been operating for centuries.

So you say I need to change my teaching in accordance with contemporary American racial needs.

I ask what that would look like in an international context.

You say that question is part of the problem.

And you wonder why people consider this all suspect.

Quite frankly I have no idea how to extend anything to the international case… If that’s what your point was, I have no idea. Your posts seemed to me like you were using your personal situation to dismiss the white supremacy culture in America.

I am focused on trying to teach black Americans better. To understand them and their issues and situation.

[Mark_Smith]
Andrew K wrote:

Mark_Smith wrote:

That is the thing. Everyone personalizes this. Its the system that has been operating for centuries.

So you say I need to change my teaching in accordance with contemporary American racial needs.

I ask what that would look like in an international context.

You say that question is part of the problem.

And you wonder why people consider this all suspect.

Quite frankly I have no idea how to extend anything to the international case… If that’s what your point was, I have no idea. Your posts seemed to me like you were using your personal situation to dismiss the white supremacy culture in America.

I am focused on trying to teach black Americans better. To understand them and their issues and situation.

Well, forgive me, but this…

“The point of diversifying how mathematics is taught in diverse cultural situations is not to get rid of “right and wrong”, or to say “if you want 2+2 to equal 5, that’s ok.” The point is to address inequities in how students learn. Its goal is also to to the process of learning, not just to jump to the right answer.”

…sounded a lot broader to me than just helping teach black students better.

Here’s an open letter about the proposed new math curriculum in California, signed by over 400 math and engineering professionals. (And the only ones allowed to sign it are Californians.)

https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=13658

This is a fantastic answer to the idea of a “woke” math curriculum, and I hope it’s just the beginning.

Dave Barnhart