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Math in the US needs a revamp. Kids get the notion early on that math is some sort of ominous monster ready to devour their time and grades. It has a bad rap, a

by Hasz 9y ago

Math in the US needs a revamp. Kids get the notion early on that math is some sort of ominous monster ready to devour their time and grades. It has a bad rap, and this keeps people from getting into it early on. What we need is someone to "popularize" math in a genuine and non-patronizing way. Say what you will about Bill Nye/Neil DeGrasse Tyson/Carl Sagan/Issac Assimov, but they've been incredibly successful at introducing advanced scientific concepts to a wide audience. Math needs these same kinds of "popularizers". Not only to introduce interesting topics, but to validate and remove the stigma surrounding math in the US.

maxxxxx 9y ago
I also have noticed that math and language learning are viewed by many people in the US as something that's not even worth trying because it is too hard. Pretty sad and I think this will hurt the country big time later. You can't run a country with only extrovert MBAs and lawyers that manage foreign immigrants.
- cofcoycpyfjc 9y ago
  The grand experiment is in progress.
GuiA 9y ago
Vi Hart is an amazing math communicator, and is a model of what teaching math in fun, hands on, intuitive ways looks like. I’d pay a lot of money to see what she could do with a full television crew to produce a PBS style math show. https://youtube.com/channel/UCOGeU-1Fig3rrDjhm9Zs_wg https://youtube.com/channel/UCOGeU-1Fig3rrDjhm9Zs_wg
hkmurakami 9y ago
From an early age math was a puzzle and game for me, and it was fun to solve these puzzles. It'd be nice if we can somehow get that perspective into the classroom.
mynegation 9y ago
USA had Martin Gardner. Ironically, I got so much of my love for math from reading his books, translated to Russian.
fma 9y ago
My wife runs an after school learning center. She has had parents withdraw because they would rather their kids spend more time practicing sports. She's also had parents complain that their kids aren't being progressed fast enough or gets too much repetition - then she has to give an analogy that their child understands some of the concepts, but not all. And just like a basketball shot, I think you need to practice till you can do it perfectly, under pressure...not just once in a while during practice. A 70% might be passing in school but not here, and not in the real world. If only parents made sports as "cool" as sports. I'm sorry but if parents don't take the responsibility to make education a high priority for their kids then they are failing their kids. Parents are the kids biggest role models and they should be the ones to "popularize" whatever is necessary to change behavior. Whether it's math, or not doing drugs.

by Hasz 9y ago

maxxxxx 9y ago

I also have noticed that math and language learning are viewed by many people in the US as something that's not even worth trying because it is too hard. Pretty sad and I think this will hurt the country big time later. You can't run a country with only extrovert MBAs and lawyers that manage foreign immigrants.

cofcoycpyfjc 9y ago
The grand experiment is in progress.

GuiA 9y ago

Vi Hart is an amazing math communicator, and is a model of what teaching math in fun, hands on, intuitive ways looks like. I’d pay a lot of money to see what she could do with a full television crew to produce a PBS style math show. https://youtube.com/channel/UCOGeU-1Fig3rrDjhm9Zs_wg https://youtube.com/channel/UCOGeU-1Fig3rrDjhm9Zs_wg

hkmurakami 9y ago

From an early age math was a puzzle and game for me, and it was fun to solve these puzzles. It'd be nice if we can somehow get that perspective into the classroom.

mynegation 9y ago

USA had Martin Gardner. Ironically, I got so much of my love for math from reading his books, translated to Russian.

fma 9y ago

My wife runs an after school learning center. She has had parents withdraw because they would rather their kids spend more time practicing sports. She's also had parents complain that their kids aren't being progressed fast enough or gets too much repetition - then she has to give an analogy that their child understands some of the concepts, but not all. And just like a basketball shot, I think you need to practice till you can do it perfectly, under pressure...not just once in a while during practice. A 70% might be passing in school but not here, and not in the real world. If only parents made sports as "cool" as sports. I'm sorry but if parents don't take the responsibility to make education a high priority for their kids then they are failing their kids. Parents are the kids biggest role models and they should be the ones to "popularize" whatever is necessary to change behavior. Whether it's math, or not doing drugs.