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How I Rewired My Brain to Become Fluent in Math

23 points by prajjwal 12y ago

j2kun 12y ago
> And indeed, it's easier for teachers to induce students to discuss a mathematical subject (which, if done properly, can do much to help promote understanding) than it is for that teacher to tediously grade math homework. It's much easier to give rote problems and grade them mindlessly because it doesn't require you to engage the students in any way. Moreover, engaging your students requires you to actually know the mathematics more deeply than a textbook, and most high school math teachers don't come close to this. > ..., someone who dances daily with triple integrals, Fourier transforms, and that crown jewel of mathematics, Euler’s equation I've met scores of engineers who can "dance" with triple integrals, and yet are still terrible at formulating or understanding the most basic of mathematical claims. But what do they do in their jobs? They certainly don't compute integrals all day. Being good at mathematics requires practice, as does every pursuit, nobody is contending that. But what this author (and most critics of Common Core) don't understand is that knowledge of mathematical facts and rote symbolic manipulation skills is not equivalent to skill at mathematics. We do not teach our students mathematics so they can swim in triple integrals. We teach them mathematics to develop analytical minds. Rote computation does not do this, and thank goodness the standards writers are finally starting to acknowledge that.
- endzone 12y ago
  "'ve met scores of engineers who can "dance" with triple integrals, and yet are still terrible at formulating or understanding the most basic of mathematical claims. But what do they do in their jobs? They certainly don't compute integrals all day." scores eh?
  - j2kun 12y ago
    between tens and hundreds?
harry8 12y ago
It's just a damn teaser. :-( "The full article appears in the Fall 2014 Nautilus Quarterly. Subscribe today!"
- droope 12y ago
  How fucking annoying! :S
jc123 12y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8402859 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8402859

23 points by prajjwal 12y ago

j2kun 12y ago

> And indeed, it's easier for teachers to induce students to discuss a mathematical subject (which, if done properly, can do much to help promote understanding) than it is for that teacher to tediously grade math homework. It's much easier to give rote problems and grade them mindlessly because it doesn't require you to engage the students in any way. Moreover, engaging your students requires you to actually know the mathematics more deeply than a textbook, and most high school math teachers don't come close to this. > ..., someone who dances daily with triple integrals, Fourier transforms, and that crown jewel of mathematics, Euler’s equation I've met scores of engineers who can "dance" with triple integrals, and yet are still terrible at formulating or understanding the most basic of mathematical claims. But what do they do in their jobs? They certainly don't compute integrals all day. Being good at mathematics requires practice, as does every pursuit, nobody is contending that. But what this author (and most critics of Common Core) don't understand is that knowledge of mathematical facts and rote symbolic manipulation skills is not equivalent to skill at mathematics. We do not teach our students mathematics so they can swim in triple integrals. We teach them mathematics to develop analytical minds. Rote computation does not do this, and thank goodness the standards writers are finally starting to acknowledge that.

endzone 12y ago
"'ve met scores of engineers who can "dance" with triple integrals, and yet are still terrible at formulating or understanding the most basic of mathematical claims. But what do they do in their jobs? They certainly don't compute integrals all day." scores eh?
- j2kun 12y ago
  between tens and hundreds?

harry8 12y ago

It's just a damn teaser. :-( "The full article appears in the Fall 2014 Nautilus Quarterly. Subscribe today!"

droope 12y ago
How fucking annoying! :S

jc123 12y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8402859 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8402859