Math and I have never been friends. Let me re-state that: Higher mathematics and I have never been friends. I can do - and find useful - basic math operation: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. I also think it's a good idea to know your basic shapes and how to find area and perimeter, as these are useful when designing a garden or measuring a room. Speaking of measurement...another good skill...comes in handy many ways. I also think decimals and percents are useful, as these help you calculate sale items when at the mall. Beyond this...well, I'm not sure who came up with the rest of the stuff.
Actually I am pretty sure higher mathematics developed because people were bored. No TV to watch, no pubs to visit; they already contemplated their existence and life's meaning so why not play with numbers? Actually I have no idea when or who started higher mathematics, and quite frankly, I don't really care. (Obviously I am also poor at history.) I do, however, have a bone to pick with whoever started this nonsense.
Let's take algebra for instance. Yesterday one of my students, who I usually do not tutor in math, brought me his algebra (insert gasp) homework. It looked something like this:
y=2x-1/4
2y=3/4x-1
First of all, who the hell ever thought of inserting letters into math problems? They were fine with all digits, as far as I'm concerned. Then he had to plot these equations on a graph and solve for both letters. Then he had to list the points where the 2 points intersected. Huh?
Now I can do this:
2x=6
I may be even able to do the kinds of problems where you have to get all the x's on one side or something like that, but solve for 2 letters and graph the equations ? I had no clue what to do AT ALL. He mentioned something about "rise over run" and rise and run is exactly what I wanted to do. Apparently this means something different in algebra. Something to do with a slope.
I could not help him at all. I didn't even know where to start. I'm sure he thought I was dumb as a rock, but I really just hate math that I view as completely pointless. When, in life, have I ever had to calculate a slope? I am sure my engineer husband could quote me a thousand uses for algebra, but since I don't do any of those things it means nothing to me. In fact, I bet it means nothing to most people.
Here's an idea: Why not save the algebra, trigonometry and calculus for students who plan to go into careers where this knowledge is helpful? These classes could be taken as electives in high school or college. I think schools should spend more time teaching useful math skills such as:
The Stock Market: Friend or Foe?
What IS the Economy and How Does it Work?
How to Save for Retirement-It's Closer than You Think
What Credit Really Is and How Long It Will REALLY Take you to Pay Off that Fancy Cell Phone
How to Pay Bills-On Time
What is a Mutual Fund Anyway?
Honestly, I think courses in how to manage finances, how to negotiate a mortgage, or where to invest your money are far more useful to the average person than graphing equations. You should be able to read a financial document and understand it before you cosign it, rather than be able to calculate the cosine of some angle. (Go ahead...ask me how long it took me to come up with that one.)
2 comments:
Two things:
1. I totally agree with you, why put letters in math equations. That only makes it harder to write sentences, if you don't have all the letters, using them in some math equation.
B. I think we share the same math skills! I'm in my mid 60's, and still am waiting to use the trigonometry!
Actually, there is no such thing as higher mathematics...Isaac Newton was just trying to impress a girl on his block.
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