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My Niece Is Taking Advanced Algebra In Twelfth Grade - This Seems Odd (1 Viewer)

rockaction

Footballguy
Teachers are calling her the smartest person they've ever met. What to do with this? 

Before it becomes a pissing match, I know how advanced advanced algebra is. I just can't relate to her. 

 
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JFC dude, give it a rest already.   Wtf should you be doing anything with your niece's schoolwork?
I guess I will. I think it comes from a place of being not being able to relate familaily with someone. Sort of doesn't seem like a bad late-night thread. It's a tough situation, too. The Mom and Dad are divorced, and I like them both, but the Mom did weird #### until the daughter was older. It's family stuff, and I'm just putting it out there.  

 
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Teachers are calling her the smartest person they've ever met. What to do with this? 

Before it becomes a pissing match, I know how advanced advanced algebra is. I just can't relate to her. 
Not to rain on your parade but in my 25 years of teaching I've worked with dozens of students who could have chosen to take Advanced Algebra in high school. In fact, I blew one parent's mind when I told her that her son would be appropriately moved into Carnegie Mellon's PhD program in mathematics rather than slogging though 9th grade. He's a genius, obviously, but she chose to have him stay in high school. Did AP Stats for fun over his 8th grade summer and studied undergrad level math for most of four years. Congrats to you and her, but there is always a bigger fish in the pond.

As for relating to her, being a different gender and generation (if that is true) might be more relevant than her brilliance. Relating to teenage girls shouldn't be easy for a grown man.

 
Not to rain on your parade but in my 25 years of teaching I've worked with dozens of students who could have chosen to take Advanced Algebra in high school. In fact, I blew one parent's mind when I told her that her son would be appropriately moved into Carnegie Mellon's PhD program in mathematics rather than slogging though 9th grade. He's a genius, obviously, but she chose to have him stay in high school. Did AP Stats for fun over his 8th grade summer and studied undergrad level math for most of four years. Congrats to you and her, but there is always a bigger fish in the pond.

As for relating to her, being a different gender and generation (if that is true) might be more relevant than her brilliance. Relating to teenage girls shouldn't be easy for a grown man.
:homer:  

 
You're supposed to relate to your neice's math? Has this always been the only way you communicate to each other or did you just run out of ideas for a new thread.

 
Most of the people I went to high school with took calculus in 12th grade. We laughed the ones taking "advanced" algebra who thought they were smart.

 
Most of the people I went to high school with took calculus in 12th grade. We laughed the ones taking "advanced" algebra who thought they were smart.
In my kids school system, the GT track has calc as a junior and calc 2 as a senior.  Is this "advanced" algebra some new kind of Newtonian math I'm unaware of?

 
In my kids school system, the GT track has calc as a junior and calc 2 as a senior.  Is this "advanced" algebra some new kind of Newtonian math I'm unaware of?
It's the politicalally correct way of saying, "You're not so bright, but we want to try to make you feel smarter than you really are."

 
Isn't "Advanced Algebra" just algebra II?  Big whoop.  I took that in 9th grade.  Unless it's some college level course, it's not that advanced.

 
In my kids school system, the GT track has calc as a junior and calc 2 as a senior.  Is this "advanced" algebra some new kind of Newtonian math I'm unaware of?
Yeah, it's what we took after Calc III in college. But to pecorino's point, there's always someone skipping grades and being on PhD tracks right away. 

Anyway, it's a slight brag, but also she might wind up in Tanner's class somewhere in Riverside. But he teaches ninth grade-history, as he likes to tell me.  

 
I took the title "Advanced Algebra" in the OP to mean the rigorous college level course that math majors take, not some version of high school algebra. It's boring and tough, but certainly accessible to many talented high schoolers. If the class is really some version of Algebra II or III, then I'm speechless.

 
I took the title "Advanced Algebra" in the OP to mean the rigorous college level course that math majors take, not some version of high school algebra. It's boring and tough, but certainly accessible to many talented high schoolers. If the class is really some version of Algebra II or III, then I'm speechless.
No, advanced algebra means exactly what you think. I remember kids getting 800s on their SATs taking Advanced Algebra in college. That is what this means. She hasn't skipped grades like your PHD student, but she's the first in her class in a town of 100,000 people. That's pretty significant.  

 
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AP classes are usually good for college credit. You can avoid taking the placement tests and doing the 101 classes.

 
In my kids school system, the GT track has calc as a junior and calc 2 as a senior.  Is this "advanced" algebra some new kind of Newtonian math I'm unaware of?
They called the class Linear Algebra back in my day.  Knew two kids who took the class senior year after taking AP Calculus BC their junior year.  They had to go to a local college for the class.  And yes, they were genius smart.

 
They called the class Linear Algebra back in my day.  Knew two kids who took the class senior year after taking AP Calculus BC their junior year.  They had to go to a local college for the class.  And yes, they were genius smart.
This is exactly what I'm getting at. Thanks, bigbotttom.   

 
They called the class Linear Algebra back in my day.  Knew two kids who took the class senior year after taking AP Calculus BC their junior year.  They had to go to a local college for the class.  And yes, they were genius smart.
I teach Linear Algebra to 11th & 12th graders.  They've finished BC Calc and are looking for more.  22 kids in the class and they are all killing it.  

Schools are doing better at letting high achieving students progress through the curriculum at their own (fast) pace then they did in the past, in my opinion.  

 
I teach Linear Algebra to 11th & 12th graders.  They've finished BC Calc and are looking for more.  22 kids in the class and they are all killing it.  

Schools are doing better at letting high achieving students progress through the curriculum at their own (fast) pace then they did in the past, in my opinion.  
That's great news.  HS curriculum has expanded greatly since we were kids.

 
In my kids school system, the GT track has calc as a junior and calc 2 as a senior.  Is this "advanced" algebra some new kind of Newtonian math I'm unaware of?
Algebra II?  Which I'm pretty sure was a freshman/sophomore year college class back in the day? Unless we're talking something totally different here.

 
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I don't believe Linear Algebra was offered at most schools back in the day.  It's a college-level math course.
I'm pretty sure every college offered linear algebra/advanced algebra/algebra II as a freshman year class, unless you're about 150 years old.

 
Linear algebra is easy af fwiw. Most math majors find it easier than calc stuff. Engineers always seem to have issues with it tho. Go figure.

 
"I say your three cent titanium tax goes too far."

"And I say your three cent titanium tax doesn't go far enough!"

 
I don't know. Abstract sounds different than advanced. We're talking beyond BC here, as oldman has noted. 

Why the hell am I being asked about Math?  
My bad RA. Just trying to assess the situation. Sounds like linear algebra. Nothing crazy but impressive for a high schooler for sure.

I think just talk to her like you normally would. Should be fine

 
My bad RA. Just trying to assess the situation. Sounds like linear algebra. Nothing crazy but impressive for a high schooler for sure.

I think just talk to her like you normally would. Should be fine
No, Peyton, you're one of the few guys on the board I trust. Chime in whenver.  

 
Linear Algebra is typically a 3000 level college course, so I'd say that's pretty impressive for a high school senior. I recall it being easier than multi-variable calc, but its no less impressive for her to be at that level in high school.  

 
Dude, if this is going to become a thing...

She's beyond BC Calc. 

I just don't know math. 
prior to this new algebra class and teacher proclaimed genius title, were you relating to her through math? if not, not seeing how this new info affects how you relate to her now. :shrug:  

but very cool that she's wikkid smaht. sad how early I'm seeing girls shy away from math at my kids' school at such young ages. stem-world needs more brilliant girls. wait... she doesn't have short hair does she?

and it seems the math sequence side of things got sorted... for my HS, it was algebra, geometry, adv algebra, pre-calc.... in that order. if you were ahead, you did a calculus course at the local CC.

 
prior to this new algebra class and teacher proclaimed genius title, were you relating to her through math? if not, not seeing how this new info affects how you relate to her now. :shrug:  

but very cool that she's wikkid smaht. sad how early I'm seeing girls shy away from math at my kids' school at such young ages. stem-world needs more brilliant girls. wait... she doesn't have short hair does she?

and it seems the math sequence side of things got sorted... for my HS, it was algebra, geometry, adv algebra, pre-calc.... in that order. if you were ahead, you did a calculus course at the local CC.
Nah, Flop. I wish I knew how we related. It's really a family story, actually. I think I can't say what I want to say about her Mom. I can say this -- they slept in the same bed for way too long. 

I have nothing to add -- just, I love her, and I'm not sure what any of this means. 

 
My bad RA. Just trying to assess the situation. Sounds like linear algebra. Nothing crazy but impressive for a high schooler for sure.

I think just talk to her like you normally would. Should be fine
I read "Advanced Algebra" as "Abstract Algebra", a la Rings, Groups and Fields. Not many high schoolers would study it nor would many teachers be able to teach it well.

If we are talking "Linear Algebra" then it makes better sense. More schools are going that direction and indeed some linear algebra is taught in Algebra II and Precalc often. If that's the case then the school should call it Linear not Advanced. And to tell the difference, ask your niece if she is studying matrices and linear systems or groups. Those are the key structures in Linear vs Abstract Algebra.

 
Once my kids got through algebra, I gave up trying to help. Math was never my strong suit and I just defer them to my wife. 

That being said,the AP curriculum many high schools offer is wonderful. My daughter just started college five weeks ago and  she had enough college credits already to enter as a sophomore and will actually have enough credits to be considered a junior come December.  She only has to go to school for two years and will come out with a bio major and a math minor. 

 
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I read "Advanced Algebra" as "Abstract Algebra", a la Rings, Groups and Fields. Not many high schoolers would study it nor would many teachers be able to teach it well.

If we are talking "Linear Algebra" then it makes better sense. More schools are going that direction and indeed some linear algebra is taught in Algebra II and Precalc often. If that's the case then the school should call it Linear not Advanced. And to tell the difference, ask your niece if she is studying matrices and linear systems or groups. Those are the key structures in Linear vs Abstract Algebra.
Yep, I read it as AA as well, but based on discussion in this thread, sounds like linear algebra. 

If we were talking AA that would be incredibly impressive. Linear algebra is still quite advanced at that age though, I think.

 
Yep, I read it as AA as well, but based on discussion in this thread, sounds like linear algebra. 

If we were talking AA that would be incredibly impressive. Linear algebra is still quite advanced at that age though, I think.
Meh. At my prior school we regularly filled our fall Linear class with 18 students out of a graduating class of 125. It's not like they're doing proofs and delving deep into vector spaces. But it is a bit beyond the hackey-sack 101 I was taking as a senior in high school.

 

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