"Making mathematics mandatory prevents us from discovering and developing young talent."
August 6, 2012 9:28 PM Subscribe
Is Algebra Necessary?
What else should US schools get rid of, to prevent you know, "depleting our pool of brainpower"?
Sarcasm aside, I find it extremely painful that the author does not appreciate the value of algebra to enable us to look at the world in abstractions, and derive logical solutions to unknowns from knowns.
What else should US schools get rid of, to prevent you know, "depleting our pool of brainpower"?
Sarcasm aside, I find it extremely painful that the author does not appreciate the value of algebra to enable us to look at the world in abstractions, and derive logical solutions to unknowns from knowns.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Single-link NYT Op/Ed plus poster editorializing doesn't really make a good post. -- taz
"If a number can't come real/
I don't need that stumper/
The concept of the variable/
Can take it in the dumper."
-Little Nephew
posted by The White Hat at 9:34 PM on August 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
I don't need that stumper/
The concept of the variable/
Can take it in the dumper."
-Little Nephew
posted by The White Hat at 9:34 PM on August 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
As discussed here, it's a pretty sad article to see the NYTimes publish. Basically, when you have a college professor saying kids shouldn't get a well-rounded education, something is seriously broken, culturally.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:35 PM on August 6, 2012
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:35 PM on August 6, 2012
The question is rarely asked, is our children mathing?
posted by Rat Spatula at 9:36 PM on August 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Rat Spatula at 9:36 PM on August 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
You know I was just talking about the applicability of math the other day, and I said then, as I will now, that algebra is the point where you actually learn how equations function-- how to create and manipulate relationships between numbers. Algebra is absolutely fundamental to any number of the aspects of day-to-day living.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:36 PM on August 6, 2012
posted by shakespeherian at 9:36 PM on August 6, 2012
Oh god not this again. This made the rounds of the mathoblogomanifold last week and I just wrote "no comment".
posted by madcaptenor at 9:40 PM on August 6, 2012
posted by madcaptenor at 9:40 PM on August 6, 2012
Who is the author of this and what is their department/institution? I don't want to exceed my NYT article threshold to find out.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:40 PM on August 6, 2012
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:40 PM on August 6, 2012
I'd suggest requiring nothing beyond algebra. Math classes after algebra could be elective — a great idea for students who plan on going into math-oriented fields, but not necessary for everyone. Algebra itself seems more basic than that.
I'd also suggest that people should not editorialize in their own FPPs.
posted by John Cohen at 9:41 PM on August 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'd also suggest that people should not editorialize in their own FPPs.
posted by John Cohen at 9:41 PM on August 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
I bet they don't even use it at the Cheesecake Factory!
posted by clockzero at 9:41 PM on August 6, 2012
posted by clockzero at 9:41 PM on August 6, 2012
Tomorrow is essentially the last day that I'm presenting a new topic in the differential equations class I'm teaching. We're going to discuss the tautochrone curve and how one might use the convolution integral to solve this once quite difficult problem.
I get to talk about the history of the problem, and how people solved it before they had rigorous integral calculus. I get to talk a little bit about the history of Christiaan Huygens. We'll look at this problem as sort of a "capstone" thing in our course, which ties a lot of the ideas together and wraps everything up in a neat little applied problem for us that gave our forebears fits for a long time.
This is probably useless though, because it's hard. Instead, I'll read from "Dick and Jane watch season 9 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians". Thanks, Andrew Hacker, for letting me know that mathematics is too hard to warrant study!
posted by King Bee at 9:42 PM on August 6, 2012 [4 favorites]
I get to talk about the history of the problem, and how people solved it before they had rigorous integral calculus. I get to talk a little bit about the history of Christiaan Huygens. We'll look at this problem as sort of a "capstone" thing in our course, which ties a lot of the ideas together and wraps everything up in a neat little applied problem for us that gave our forebears fits for a long time.
This is probably useless though, because it's hard. Instead, I'll read from "Dick and Jane watch season 9 of Keeping Up With The Kardashians". Thanks, Andrew Hacker, for letting me know that mathematics is too hard to warrant study!
posted by King Bee at 9:42 PM on August 6, 2012 [4 favorites]
Eugene Wallingford replies:
"Variable representation and manipulation" is a big part of programming, too. The connection between algebra and programming isn't accidental. Matthias Felleisen won the ACM's Outstanding Educator Award in 2010 for his long-term TeachScheme! project, which has now evolved into Program by Design. In his SIGCSE 2011 keynote address, Felleisen talked about the importance of a smooth progression of teaching languages. Another thing he said in that talk stuck with me. While talking about the programming that students learned, he argued that this material could be taught in high school right now, without displacing as much material as most people think. Why? Because "This is algebra."posted by mhoye at 9:42 PM on August 6, 2012
Algebra in 2012 still rests fundamentally on variable representation and manipulation. How should we teach it? I agree with Felleisen. Programming.
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posted by Afroblanco at 9:31 PM on August 6, 2012