You can make elementary school kids memorize algorithms and they'll try, just to please you. Many will succeed. But in junior high and high school they will all of a sudden want to know why they're doing this and most curricula (worldwide) are not set up to teach "top down." I think students would put in a lot more effort and could really be challenged if they were taught what these algorithms are really used for. Most mathematicians/teachers/profs don't know or care about the applications.
Unfortunately the title of this video is an oxymoron. Traditional mathematics in the US is not rigorous. Students learn rules without reasons, thus lacking the rigor that is needed. However, most adults in the US do not recognize mathematical rigor because they have never seen it.
Those devices are more interesting than a first glance lets on, but they're most useful for students who have learned how to work with logarithms; meanwhile if reform math were around back in the '30s, their use would have been introduced in elementary school because it's too hard to multiply numbers by working out the standard algorithm.
BTW pilots still use a circular slide rule known as an E6B while training and as backup in case the plane loses power and trajectory calculations are needed
Please God don't let anyone believe this moron. Uh, sorry, professional mathematician (my eye). I'm not surprised he found teaching maths the hardest thing he's ever done... if he holds attitudes like that he's bound to. I've taught maths for six years and I don't think it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but maybe that's because I haven't always thought about what maths classes were like, back in the day, when I was at school.
I'll admit I'm more in the "math is fun" camp, but that's only when you actually understand it. I believe that difficult problems are necessary to demonstrate that the standard algorithms work in all cases; in general there is no way to get around a large number of steps that sometimes seem monotonous.
This guy has no idea what reform mathematics is actually about. It is about reasoning and developing understanding, not learning facts without understanding. It is interesting that he says that the US created so many mathematicians and scientists. Is this due to our education or in spite of it? If we know more about teaching and learning today than we did 50 years ago, should we use that information? Perhaps we should keep making cars like we did 50 year ago too.
The US has not "created" so many scientists because of "reform education." It has done so because our colleges consistently attract the best in the world, who often receive training superior to what we have to offer.
US secondary education is a disgrace. You treat it as if it were a science that we've already perfected, which is hardly the case.
The standard algorithms are key to understanding how the arithmetic operations work, helping students develop that number sense by using (albeit not in an obvious manner) the distributive property and our place-value system to see how the operations work with any number of digits or decimal places.
The main thing I believe should be left in the dust from the old times is the emphasis on drill without understanding; that easily turns off those students who don't "get it" right away.
not everyone will make it to the major league. Why does everyone have to be a major league mathematician? What about students who excel in the arts? What about those students who love Social sciences? Why does every child have to be a steallar math person. Competent... of course. But not everyone is going to be full time mathematicians.
You aim to win and to try to be the best, even if you don't intend to pursue it professionally. Furthermore, math pervades the social sciences, business, finance, and more. Even if you study art history, some traditional math will instill an understanding of rigorous thought.
Understanding the standard algorithms, methods that always work and proceed by a series of simple steps, is necessary for competence in arithmetic.
Being "major league" involves all that and a great degree of mathematical creativity, like performing u-substitution or using comparison test or Laplace transforms. This type of discovery learning is best done by each student while grappling with the problems, and only once there is no longer one best way to get the answer.
District had rolled out TERC Investigations to only 2 of 6 elementary schools - leaving 2 schools with Addison Wesley, 2 with Addison Wesley supplemented with Everyday Math (although district promoted those schools as everyday math schools)
Those board members are a disgrace and a fraud! Selling out to reform math and wasting tax money and putting our kids' education at risk so they can benefit financially from kick backs from publishers that peddle their wacky textbooks! All the best teachers from Havard to Cal Tech taught from their mind and only need a piece of chalk!
You can make elementary school kids memorize algorithms and they'll try, just to please you. Many will succeed. But in junior high and high school they will all of a sudden want to know why they're doing this and most curricula (worldwide) are not set up to teach "top down." I think students would put in a lot more effort and could really be challenged if they were taught what these algorithms are really used for. Most mathematicians/teachers/profs don't know or care about the applications.
babamuna66 9 months ago
Unfortunately the title of this video is an oxymoron. Traditional mathematics in the US is not rigorous. Students learn rules without reasons, thus lacking the rigor that is needed. However, most adults in the US do not recognize mathematical rigor because they have never seen it.
sleeper2345 1 year ago 4
@sleeper2345 you learn the rules before you can learn the reasons.
AnonymousElektron 1 year ago
how dare he cut the guy off. what a piece of shyt. shut up asshole. hes right.
Maty31 2 years ago
hahaha lets get out our slide rules too bub
8peregrint8 2 years ago
Those devices are more interesting than a first glance lets on, but they're most useful for students who have learned how to work with logarithms; meanwhile if reform math were around back in the '30s, their use would have been introduced in elementary school because it's too hard to multiply numbers by working out the standard algorithm.
BTW pilots still use a circular slide rule known as an E6B while training and as backup in case the plane loses power and trajectory calculations are needed
jelewis2 2 years ago
Please God don't let anyone believe this moron. Uh, sorry, professional mathematician (my eye). I'm not surprised he found teaching maths the hardest thing he's ever done... if he holds attitudes like that he's bound to. I've taught maths for six years and I don't think it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but maybe that's because I haven't always thought about what maths classes were like, back in the day, when I was at school.
Milner911 3 years ago
I'll admit I'm more in the "math is fun" camp, but that's only when you actually understand it. I believe that difficult problems are necessary to demonstrate that the standard algorithms work in all cases; in general there is no way to get around a large number of steps that sometimes seem monotonous.
jelewis2 2 years ago
This guy has no idea what reform mathematics is actually about. It is about reasoning and developing understanding, not learning facts without understanding. It is interesting that he says that the US created so many mathematicians and scientists. Is this due to our education or in spite of it? If we know more about teaching and learning today than we did 50 years ago, should we use that information? Perhaps we should keep making cars like we did 50 year ago too.
sleeper2345 3 years ago
The US has not "created" so many scientists because of "reform education." It has done so because our colleges consistently attract the best in the world, who often receive training superior to what we have to offer.
US secondary education is a disgrace. You treat it as if it were a science that we've already perfected, which is hardly the case.
mrpanda01 3 years ago
The standard algorithms are key to understanding how the arithmetic operations work, helping students develop that number sense by using (albeit not in an obvious manner) the distributive property and our place-value system to see how the operations work with any number of digits or decimal places.
The main thing I believe should be left in the dust from the old times is the emphasis on drill without understanding; that easily turns off those students who don't "get it" right away.
jelewis2 2 years ago
Traditional math FTW. This guy should get a medal or something.
qwertyuiop726 3 years ago 2
BRAVO!!!!
guitarmaniac1st 3 years ago
not everyone will make it to the major league. Why does everyone have to be a major league mathematician? What about students who excel in the arts? What about those students who love Social sciences? Why does every child have to be a steallar math person. Competent... of course. But not everyone is going to be full time mathematicians.
tandnshobert 3 years ago
What does "competence" entail? The average American is hardly competent at mathematics.
mrpanda01 3 years ago
You aim to win and to try to be the best, even if you don't intend to pursue it professionally. Furthermore, math pervades the social sciences, business, finance, and more. Even if you study art history, some traditional math will instill an understanding of rigorous thought.
nda340 2 years ago 2
Understanding the standard algorithms, methods that always work and proceed by a series of simple steps, is necessary for competence in arithmetic.
Being "major league" involves all that and a great degree of mathematical creativity, like performing u-substitution or using comparison test or Laplace transforms. This type of discovery learning is best done by each student while grappling with the problems, and only once there is no longer one best way to get the answer.
jelewis2 2 years ago
wow. This guy's speech is great, but now I want more of the story. What is the board meeting about?
motherFunctor 4 years ago
District had rolled out TERC Investigations to only 2 of 6 elementary schools - leaving 2 schools with Addison Wesley, 2 with Addison Wesley supplemented with Everyday Math (although district promoted those schools as everyday math schools)
nowthatshockey 4 years ago
Those board members are a disgrace and a fraud! Selling out to reform math and wasting tax money and putting our kids' education at risk so they can benefit financially from kick backs from publishers that peddle their wacky textbooks! All the best teachers from Havard to Cal Tech taught from their mind and only need a piece of chalk!
solanadoc 4 years ago
Amen!
mathmotivation 4 years ago