The difficulty of teaching calculus is a classic concern raised by parents wondering if they can provide an adequate education for their high schooler at home. But homeschooling doesn’t mean your math-minded student will miss out on a rigorous calculus course! Host Mike Farris has more, today on Home School Heartbeat.
Mike Farris:
My guest today is Tom Larry. Tom is the chief scientist with Toyon Research Corporation, he has a PhD in physics, and he is currently developing a course for Patrick Henry College Preparatory Academy. Tom, welcome to the program!
Tom Larry:
Well, thanks, Mike! I’m excited to be a part of the Prep Academy.
Mike:
Tom, for many homeschooling parents, the thought of high school calculus is probably enough to start a cold sweat! So tell our listeners why you think high schoolers should consider taking a calculus course, like the AP calculus course you’re developing for the PHC Prep Academy.
Tom:
Well, Mike, the world of our children is dominated by rapidly developing technology, which is the product of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Now I’ve met a lot of young people who dream of contributing to these developments by becoming scientists or engineers, but they won’t be able to pursue their dreams without some core mathematical skills, which include calculus. Career track science and engineering courses use calculus like a language to express the key concepts and to solve problems.
Developing calculus skills is like learning to play a musical instrument. Practice leads to skill, competence, and these in turn amount to understanding. We want to replace math anxiety with math confidence, so that the students can successfully pursue more advanced studies in college, and eventually realize their dreams of discovery and invention.
Mike:
Tom, thanks so much! I appreciate your being on the program. I’m Mike Farris.
