Three typos fixed for this web edition, embedded hyperlinks
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Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 21:54:25 -0800 To: Melissa_Chabran@ed.gov From: Kirby Urner <pdx4d@teleport.com> MEMORANDUM February 20, 1998 TO: Melissa Chabran Planning and Evaluation Service U.S. Department of Education FR: Kirby Urner Curriculum writer 4D Solutions, Oregon Dear Ms. Chabran -- You may recall our exchange of memoranda at the end of last year, archived at my website.[1] You expressed some interest in hearing of my progress and accomplishments, even though you were not supportive of my plans to use nonviolent civil disobedience in the great American tradition, should the curriculum juggernaut continue on its present heading towards shipwreck. I am pleased to report that my so-called Math Makeover of 1998 is gathering momentum. Mostly we have been engaged in a lot of cool-headed behind the scenes internet discussion of curriculum matters, including around the subject of racism, as per links previously spelled out and further clarified at my website.[2] However, I maybe should take some responsibility for some of the more disruptive and confrontational displays in recent days at these staged media events. When I referred to our fearless leaders in Washington DC as "loser cretins" who don't even know "baby math" (referring to the A and B modules), this was in a context of looking back from a projected future viewpoint -- imagining how this will all look to kids as yet preverbal, once they have a chance to read their USA history texts and view the archival videos. But people often take such things out of context, as I'm sure you realize. Also, although I've made a point of underlining the strong links between Medal of Freedom winner R. Buckminster Fuller's tetrahedral 4D geometry and anti-racism, I doubt whether most local leaders are thinking "tetrahedron" when they chant "one two three four..." (as if counting the vertices or face window-openings) -- even though the link to anti-racism (and anti-nationalism, a close relative) is abundantly clear.[3] I hope (and strongly suggest) that when Mr. Clinton comes on TV soon to explain his administration's rationale for staging explosive events in Persia, that he'll have something intelligent to say to the math teachers, now that we're telling our kids in more detail about design science, synergetics, and our option to succeed as never before. How does this image they're getting of a bright future in the 21st century sync with Ms. Albright's, for example, which seems very rooted in the 20th -- or maybe 19th? The Russians know about the design science option, and even the Iraqis are signalling some comprehension -- so what's with up with the USA? Anybody home? My kids want some answers. Apologies for the confrontational tone. Mathematics is really a cool-headed Vulcan enterprise, even when it gets polemical sometimes (i.e. more Klingon). In conclusion, we have been unimpressed with the Clinton administration's efforts to date to do any serious homework on this front (math and geometry) and will no doubt get a lot more vocal about this perceived failing if our putative leaders in Washington, DC continue to demonstrate such appalling ignorance and apathy about our USA mathematics curriculum.[4] Thanks for listening. Sincerely, Kirby Urner Hyperlinks: [1] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/usdepted.html [2] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/makeover1.html [3] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/bosnia.html [4] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/mathsummit.html This memo: http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/usdepted3.html |
Synergetics on the
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