Are We Teaching Math in School... Wrong?
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| Schoolessons |
Think about what if we taught math in a more practical way. Sure, we have to memorize the formulas. In algebra, you need to learn how to find X and Y or to multiply factors. In calculus, multiplying of factors happens before you find the derivative and anti-derivatives. In trigonometry, you need to memorize the SOH-CAH-TOA and the identities before they can be applied. In geometry, you need to memorize the formulas of shapes and 3D objects. However, a lot of times rote memorization is overly emphasized. Rote memorization is important but the problem is when too much time is spent on it. It becomes pointless to learn about the parts of the triangle, how to do derivatives and anti-derivatives, how to measure angles, etc. if all of these are done purely as a mental exercise than teaching students how to explore the world with math. Maths and sciences are connected. Isaac Newton used calculus to further his discoveries.
We have the famous piece by mathematician Paul Lockheart. It's called "The Mathematician's Lament". One should think about this excerpt from The Business Insider which talks about the problem with how math is taught:
Lockhart begins with a vivid parable in which a musician has a nightmare in which music is taught to children by rote memorization of sheet music and formal rules for manipulating notes. In the nightmare, students never actually listen to music, at least not until advanced college classes or graduate school.
The problem is that this abstract memorization and formal-method-based "music" education closely resembles the "math" education that most students receive. Formulas and algorithms are delivered with no context or motivation, with students made to simply memorize and apply them.
Part of why many students end up disliking math, or convincing themselves that they are bad at math, comes from this emphasis on formulas and notation and methods at the expense of actually deep understanding of the naturally fascinating things mathematicians explore. It's understandable that many students (and adults) get frustrated at memorizing context-free strings of symbols and methods to manipulate them.
This goes against what math is really about. The essence of mathematics is recognizing interesting patterns in interesting abstractions of reality and finding properties of those patterns and abstractions. This is inherently a much more creative field than the dry symbol manipulation taught conventionally.
Math is supposed to prepare students to succeed. I feel that math is instead making students fail in real life. It's not that my career depends on learning trigonometry or geometry. However, it's killing common sense. I could remember going to Cebu IT Park and appreciating the power of math to create such a wonderful place. I could go to Ayala Central Bloc and other places to learn how IT maths and sciences built the place. I would imagine right now that trigonometry's distance formula may have been used in making Google maps. The distances between four places can be computed using the distance formula. However, think about what it is to learn the distance formula without even knowing its practical application.
Besides, the way maths (and also sciences) should be introduced is more than just learning patience. Math teaches critical thinking and common sense. Math helps me to appreciate my surroundings better. Not everyone will be using trigonometry and geometry. However, think it over that these maths built the hotels and kitchens for Hotel & Restaurant Management (HRM) graduates to use for their jobs. Rather than say, "Go to HRM if your math grades are bad!"--I'd prefer to say, "Try being an HRM graduate without knowing math and you'll never appreciate your job!" HRM is dependent on the metric system of math such as the use of measuring spoons. HRM is also an application of basic chemistry and basic physics. HRM graduates can't appreciate the good meal they made if they didn't study maths and sciences before college. They won't be using stoichiometry when cooking while the principle itself may scientifically explain why I enjoyed eating that piece of well-cooked steak or why caramelization requires such a delicate procedure. Calculus may also help explain why the barbecue was cooked at the right temperature and why it tasted so good. Then, the HRM graduate appreciates the well-designed kitchen with all the safety standards because of maths and sciences.
Math will always be taught no matter what because of its crucial importance to understanding everyday life. I believe that we should continue to fix and improve math education one way or another to reduce the "I hate math" mentality. What's the use of memorizing the four basic operations if we don't know how it's applied? 1 + 1 = 2 will make sense when you think that one apple and one apple make two apples. 1 -1 will make sense when you realize that eating that one apple means zero apples. 2 x 2 = 4 will make sense when two apples got added with two apples. 4 / 2 = 2 makes sense when you divide the four apples into two groups. It's amazing how the application is taught more during the earlier years. Sadly, applications get ignored in the later years. Worse, people only know how to apply maths when they take the wrong course for them such as taking engineering or computer courses when math isn't your forte. This is one thing that needs to change--the way math is taught. Math is a fundamental force in business and economics. Algebra, calculus, and statistics are extensively applied in finances and economics. Why wait until college to learn the practical applications of math?
