Review/Herald/Reporter
January 22, 1999

Creative thinking supplements class work

By Gail Gasper
Correspondent

Metuchen - Some 20 Metuchen residents dripped, dropped, estimated and extrapolated at a FANS (Families Achieving the New Standards in Math, Science and Technology Education) workshop sponsored by the New Jersey Mathematics Coalition in the Moss School library last month.

Given a container with beetles, or confetti-like paper squares, and a paper rendering of gardens, parents of elementary school students attempted to confirm the probability of extinction faced by a steadily dwindling population of blue insect.

With a vile of water and a dropper, the same parents, again working in groups of four or five, attempted to assess the amount of water lost daily to a leaky faucet.

Like their sons and daughters, who regularly participate in such labs in the face of raise state standards, the adults relied on their wit, their hands and on each other to bring the experiment to a logical conclusion.

Not all learning is hands-on cautioned fifth grade teacher Rena Falk, one of four teacher at the workshop.

"Hands on takes more time," she said.

Children continue to learn by way of reading, writing, and memorizing, but the state CORE Curriculum Content Standards expect students to be proficient problem solvers, creative thinkers, communicators and statisticians.

In May 1996, the state Board of Education adopted these standards requiring all fourth, eighth and 11th grade students to be tested in seven content areas. A passing score on the 11th grade test is a requirement for high school graduation.

In a film shown during the workshop, speakers stressed the need for active involvement by students and demonstrated how in-class situations could connect to daily life. In one classroom, students created shoebox deltas of sand to witness the effect of mineral rich water deposits; in another, students constructed rockets of tin foil and attempted to free them from the gooey surface of an unnamed plant.

Teacher Ruth Ziznewski, Moss School principal, reminded parents of the serious nature of the standards. Students not proficient in the standards will be re-mediated early on.

Last year, eight grade students a Metuchen High School took the first of the state-designed tests for the sake of information gathering and test shaping by test makers and fourth graders took the Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (EPA) as part of the state's field testing program. More sample tests will be administered to fourth grade students in May.

Other evening workshop activities included designing and embellishing a simple face to reveal the artist's age, number of children and toward math. The glyph, or picture-writing exercise can be used to introduce children to each other, Falk said.

"Students can make deductions by glancing at it," teacher Dee Sneddon said.

Aimee and Bill Chan, parents of a three-year old and second grader, attended after learning about the CORE requirements at Meet the Teacher's Night last month.

Parent of a kindergarten student, Oliver Nicolle came to involve himself in his daughter's education.

"It simply makes sense," he said."(The knowledge needed in Math and Science) is more than I imagined. The method is where I see the value."

Kim and George Belsky, parents of a first grade student, hoped to learn more about how the standard related to any national scale. George Belsky found the language of the standards to be esoteric and confusing to adults and children.

On occasion, his daughter has denied doing math in school for days; he later found out she was doing math but the way it was presented, she didn't recognize it.

Kim Belsky wondered whether the tangled working of the standards might be influenced by the input of industry.

"As in speech, I want the thesis up front," she said.

Most parents concluded that knowing the terminology might be as asset in doing the work.