As someone who has very strong verbal abilities, but next to no mathematical capability, I am intrigued by this article. I have always wondered about my inability to learn to "speak numbers", when all aspects of literary analysis and verbal expression came so naturally to me. I'm still waiting for that instructional breakthrough that opens the door to mathematics, and of greater interest to me personally, science.
But until then, there are some developments on the internet which may provide a model for distributing effective mathematics education: Khan Academy's myriad videos explaining discrete mathematical concepts and operations, and Massive Open Online Courses. Apparently, Khan Academy's offerings are seen as a bit hit-or-miss, but it certainly serves as an effective backup to mathematical textbooks and provides helpful practice. MOOC are launching at a very high academic level, by top professors at elite universities, with a concentration on more technical subjects. Maybe the Gates Foundation can make such high-quality offerings available for secondary (and primary) education.
* * *
Удивительно, но мнение о том, что математика не виновата, а просто преподается ужасно, гораздо менее распространено. Хотя это, безусловно, так — как будто школьная история преподается выходит за рамки запоминания дат сражений!
Mathemathics is not about about results, but about the process of getting them; it is not about proving or disproving the equality Mr. Hacker cites, but about understanding in what contexts such an equality holds, or holds not. Modern math is the study of mathematical structures and their methods.
The drama is that there very few mathematicians teaching in highschools -- they just make more money and get more satisfaction elsewhere. Highschools are left with teachers who teach what they know -- alittle Seventeen Century algebra, some Eighteen Century calculus, Greek geometry -- and are bullied by the "make math fun" wit-wants.
"Making math fun" is a notion, like making your first golf or violin attempts "fun". Achieving difficult goals is "fun", not changing to mini-golf.
A suggestion: import real mathematicians -- from India, from wherever you can find them -- on good contracts that bind them to highschool teaching for, say a substantial stretch of time. Let them teach non-mandatory math-math classes, and leave all the other kinds in the feel-good-about-yourself classes teaching the " how to compute 3% of 100" all-As classes. And see .... you may be surprised ...
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-30 03:23 am (UTC)Первый — явно от гуманитария. Хорошо показывает, что не все гуманитарии такие, самое малое.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/is-algebra-necessary.html?comments#permid=402
Mary, Redding, CT
As someone who has very strong verbal abilities, but next to no mathematical capability, I am intrigued by this article. I have always wondered about my inability to learn to "speak numbers", when all aspects of literary analysis and verbal expression came so naturally to me. I'm still waiting for that instructional breakthrough that opens the door to mathematics, and of greater interest to me personally, science.
But until then, there are some developments on the internet which may provide a model for distributing effective mathematics education: Khan Academy's myriad videos explaining discrete mathematical concepts and operations, and Massive Open Online Courses. Apparently, Khan Academy's offerings are seen as a bit hit-or-miss, but it certainly serves as an effective backup to mathematical textbooks and provides helpful practice. MOOC are launching at a very high academic level, by top professors at elite universities, with a concentration on more technical subjects. Maybe the Gates Foundation can make such high-quality offerings available for secondary (and primary) education.
* * *
Удивительно, но мнение о том, что математика не виновата, а просто преподается ужасно, гораздо менее распространено. Хотя это, безусловно, так — как будто школьная история преподается выходит за рамки запоминания дат сражений!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/is-algebra-necessary.html?comments#permid=397
Taxie, Chicago, IL
The author mistakes the hat for the head.
Mathemathics is not about about results, but about the process of getting them; it is not about proving or disproving the equality Mr. Hacker cites, but about understanding in what contexts such an equality holds, or holds not.
Modern math is the study of mathematical structures and their methods.
The drama is that there very few mathematicians teaching in highschools -- they just make more money and get more satisfaction elsewhere.
Highschools are left with teachers who teach what they know -- alittle Seventeen Century algebra, some Eighteen Century calculus, Greek geometry -- and are bullied by the "make math fun" wit-wants.
"Making math fun" is a notion, like making your first golf or violin attempts "fun". Achieving difficult goals is "fun", not changing to mini-golf.
A suggestion: import real mathematicians -- from India, from wherever you can find them -- on good contracts that bind them to highschool teaching for, say a substantial stretch of time. Let them teach non-mandatory math-math classes, and leave all the other kinds in the feel-good-about-yourself classes teaching the " how to compute 3% of 100" all-As classes. And see .... you may be surprised ...