Skip to main content

Home/ Math-a-manics/ Group items tagged algebra

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Peter Kronfeld

Is Algebra Necessary? - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • Nor is it clear that the math we learn in the classroom has any relation to the quantitative reasoning we need on the job. John P. Smith III, an educational psychologist at Michigan State University who has studied math education, has found that “mathematical reasoning in workplaces differs markedly from the algorithms taught in school.”
  • It’s not hard to understand why Caltech and M.I.T. want everyone to be proficient in mathematics. But it’s not easy to see why potential poets and philosophers face a lofty mathematics bar. Demanding algebra across the board actually skews a student body, not necessarily for the better.
  • Instead of investing so much of our academic energy in a subject that blocks further attainment for much of our population, I propose that we start thinking about alternatives. Thus mathematics teachers at every level could create exciting courses in what I call “citizen statistics.”
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • I hope that mathematics departments can also create courses in the history and philosophy of their discipline, as well as its applications in early cultures. Why not mathematics in art and music — even poetry — along with its role in assorted sciences? The aim would be to treat mathematics as a liberal art, making it as accessible and welcoming as sculpture or ballet.
  •  
    A better question than "is Algebra necessary?" would be "how can we make it more relevant and compelling to students?"
Peter Kronfeld

Kids Like to Learn Algebra, if It Comes in the Right App - Wired Science - 0 views

  • non-­scientist gamers developed more-­complex proteins than biochemists did
  • As harder concepts are introduced, students who need more time on a level get additional problems; those who understand it move on.
  • 93 percent of K–12 students successfully mastered concepts after only 90 minutes of gameplay, and they didn’t want to stop
1 - 2 of 2
Showing 20 items per page