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I am a math graduate student with an undergrad degree in math. I think there is so much wrong with the original article, this response and math academia that I
by JoeyBananas 5y ago
I am a math graduate student with an undergrad degree in math. I think there is so much wrong with the original article, this response and math academia that I don't even know where to begin. I am already cringing when I get to the title. "Why won't anyone teach me math?" Really? Why don't you go to the math library and pick up a textbook? The course is only there to test your knowledge and give you a grade, you shouldn't need someone else to teach you information that can optimally be transferred through the medium of a textbook.
I don't side with the author of the response article either. I understand that math departments need to take the idea of math education seriously because it happens to be their primary source of income, but I personally don't actually believe in most of the underlying premises. I got into the subject because I wanted to be left alone to muck around with equations, books and fractals, but I ended up doing "math drills" I hated in a "math boot camp" for 3 years.
Math at the university level has become far detached from reality and deeply politicized. We need to fully embrace the "hands off" approach so that students can learn the skill of mathematical reading. Courses should be like "Here's the textbook. Here's the homework due in 1 week. I don't care if you use the internet. I won't bore you with the lecture. Exams will be the same format."
- tomcat27 5y ago> The course is only there to test your knowledge and give you a grade, NO > everything else.. I kind of agree what you are saying actually!