Math Education: A response to "An Inconvenient Truth" Part1

I saw a video on youtube called "Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth" and felt like it needed a response from someone whose career is in math education. This is the perspective of one college professor.

And about the "standard algorithm" for multiplication where we write:

16
32
___

Etc. A little thought leads to the realization that this really is just 32*16=(30+2)*16=30*16+2*16. Hence the "standard algorithm" is identical with this method of multiplication.

Oh, and interestingly, the "standard algorithm" isn't really standard after all. Talk to folks from other countries sometime and ask them to multiply and divide for you. Their algorithm may be quite different seeming from yours. In fact, of course, it's all really the same because mulitplication is truly only one well-defined operation. How you arrive at the answer may appear different, but in the end, at root, they are all the same.

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[themrmexico9]

I agree with everything you said. I just started a channel to derive and explain concepts and theorems of math. But i really wanted to ask you what the name of those books you talk about are called b/c they sound like the perfect tool i need. As well you say that you are a college professor, Ive though about being a college math professor at one of the upper universities like MIT or cal tech. Hows the salary is what i really want to ask. Please reply thank you.

[jamesblackburnlynch]

@themrmexico9 The books are the Everyday Math series. The Singapore math series is a good one also. I don't know the salaries at MIT or Cal Tech. I'm sure they are better than at most universities, but still aren't why anyone does what we do. If you can be a math professor at MIT or Cal Tech you could make much more money doing something else. My guess would be near $100,000. Very expensive towns for both schools.

[mozdonny]

Is this the level of the understanding of yankee maths listeners at such a low level?

[jamesblackburnlynch]

@mozdonny I'm not sure I follow your question. Listeners? Do you mean students? We are, of course, talking about little kids here. This is a debate about elementary school texts. So, yes, this is presuming they are learning math from the beginning.

But the fact is that 50% of students, when they get to college, still do not know "high school" math (or maths to the British folks). So, yeah, I'd say the level of understanding is pretty low.

[shananagans5]

I have to agree with you. I never got that understanding in grade, mid, or high school & by college, its to late, they are never going back. I struggled in college to even pass algebra. It took me 4 attempts & nearly ended my college career. Geometry was easy, I even enjoyed it because I had, as my dad put it, a feel for it. I eventually became a forensic psych & had a 3.8 GPA in grad school so I am reasonably bright but not truly understanding the math closed many possible career paths.

[jamesblackburnlynch]

@shananagans5 Interesting...what made you watch these videos about math education?

(By the way, it's not too late for you. If you want.)

[success465]

1 divided by 0 is 10

[mozdonny]

@mozdonny As far as I know, listeners equals college students so yeah.

I agree with you anyhow, in terms of the robotic way of mathematics education, it confuses most people later on their lives, (if they get to a Bsc instead of Ba ofc.).

Me personally, had to learn maths the self-taught way, took me about 1 month to understand the basics of arithmetics, algebra, aggregation theory etc. from one book. (went for a mechanical engineer Bsc.)

Maths seems something mysterious for most people.

[shananagans5]

@jamesblackburnlynch Cont: Not to mention, if kids are just memorizing formulas, that is all they are doing. They are not learning problem solving skills. It is kind of the difference between remembering something & learning how to think. If you continue into college there are other opportunities to learn how to think but if you don't go beyond HS every opportunity to learn how to think is important. I often see that in younger patients. They're very smart but lack general problem solving skills

[shananagans5]

@jamesblackburnlynch I just stumbled on it. All the basic stuff is no problem but, beyond basic algebra I never got it. I can figure the answer but not the efficient way. My dad was a prof at Air Force Academy and that just made him nuts. I have no desire to go back because any daily math is no prob and more complicated stuff I can find the answer. (call dad) Joke. My career doesn't require advanced math but had I really understood school would have been easier & who knows, I may have loved it