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I'm a huge fan of mathematics. However... Being able to communicate effectively and work with groups is a hell of a lot more important to modern life than math

by mlyle 5y ago

I'm a huge fan of mathematics. However... Being able to communicate effectively and work with groups is a hell of a lot more important to modern life than mathematics. Being able to organize oneself and complete projects and assigned work is important. Being able to peruse written material and absorb information is a critical skill. These are things students learn in school. Yes, they come naturally to some students, the way mathematics comes naturally to others.

legerdemain 5y ago
There is a contingent of users on HN who reject the degree to which inborn talents contribute to human abilities. People vary a lot in how well they absorb information and communicate effectively with others. It's silly to claim that forcing children to go to school creates these abilities where they don't exist. The explanation that some children simply mature into adult-like abilities with age and others do not requires a lot fewer hypotheticals.
- mlyle 5y ago
  There's lots of human variation, sure. That hardly proves that education doesn't work or that the same skills would be acquired otherwise. I can hardly imagine that we'd reach the same literacy rate without an education system. Practice under instructor guidance helps. I teach robotics and other STEM classes. The robotics league that my teams participate in measures teams with both objective and subjective measures: presentation skills matter. Over a term, I see the less technically students develop a lot of hands-on knowledge about mechanics, electronics, and problem solving. I see the one who are already technically inclined build a lot of presentation and communication skills. And everyone learns a lot more about project management and organization. There's a massive apparent difference in abilities at the end of the term and the beginning.
actfrench 5y ago
Some subjects are better taught in groups (like theater), while others are much more effective one-on-one (mathematics). And both do require some component of one-one-one and group teaching to really get an in-depth understanding and be able to communicate ideas, meaning both benefit from some one-one-one and group work - and also we shouldn't underestimate independent study, which was accessible by books and now so much more successful through adaptive learning apps.
- mlyle 5y ago
  I hardly discount independent study. I'm self-taught across a wide range of subjects. Curiosity varies, and all the areas where it's applied are not of equal value. Some kids would far rather learn everything there is to learn about Minecraft and mindlessly play it instead of developing literacy skills. Having schooling establishes a baseline: we try and bring up every student to some fundamental level of competence in each subject.

by mlyle 5y ago

legerdemain 5y ago

There is a contingent of users on HN who reject the degree to which inborn talents contribute to human abilities. People vary a lot in how well they absorb information and communicate effectively with others. It's silly to claim that forcing children to go to school creates these abilities where they don't exist. The explanation that some children simply mature into adult-like abilities with age and others do not requires a lot fewer hypotheticals.

mlyle 5y ago
There's lots of human variation, sure. That hardly proves that education doesn't work or that the same skills would be acquired otherwise. I can hardly imagine that we'd reach the same literacy rate without an education system. Practice under instructor guidance helps. I teach robotics and other STEM classes. The robotics league that my teams participate in measures teams with both objective and subjective measures: presentation skills matter. Over a term, I see the less technically students develop a lot of hands-on knowledge about mechanics, electronics, and problem solving. I see the one who are already technically inclined build a lot of presentation and communication skills. And everyone learns a lot more about project management and organization. There's a massive apparent difference in abilities at the end of the term and the beginning.

actfrench 5y ago

Some subjects are better taught in groups (like theater), while others are much more effective one-on-one (mathematics). And both do require some component of one-one-one and group teaching to really get an in-depth understanding and be able to communicate ideas, meaning both benefit from some one-one-one and group work - and also we shouldn't underestimate independent study, which was accessible by books and now so much more successful through adaptive learning apps.

mlyle 5y ago
I hardly discount independent study. I'm self-taught across a wide range of subjects. Curiosity varies, and all the areas where it's applied are not of equal value. Some kids would far rather learn everything there is to learn about Minecraft and mindlessly play it instead of developing literacy skills. Having schooling establishes a baseline: we try and bring up every student to some fundamental level of competence in each subject.