Why many people suck a math.

I wanted to start this thread that may be of interest to you academics out there. I see an alarming trend in our society, and I personally believe it is keeping us from achieving technological marvels faster than we should be able to achieve them.

The problem is that many people are not good at math. The question is why? I've spent some time thinking about that question, and I've come to a conclusion:

The reason why many people are not good at math is because of the way our school system teaches it, especially here in the US.

Our school system lumps all math into one category, and because of this students are alienated. Many people believe all math is math. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

In reality, math is an extremely diverse subject. Math is a language, and whle their are many different spoken languages, their are many number languages to.

The problem with colleges and universities in the US is that they force you to learn certain types of math that you will never use once you go into the workforce.

A chemist will not use the same math as an electrical engineer, and a biologist will not use the same type of math that a computer scientist will use.

Yet in college they force us to be familiar with things not related to our major.
What are some solutions to this problem? I've listed a few solutions here:

1. Starting at the elementary school level, teach students basic mathematical concepts that are essential to all higher math forms such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

2. By middle school, begin teaching algebra 1, 2, and 3.

3. By high school, new students should take career tests to determine what type of field they would like to work in. If a student test scores indicate engineering, then all throughout highschool that student should be taught math ONLY related specifically to engineering. The same goes for other disciplines. The less math you will use in your field of study, the less you will need to know.

4. All colleges should divide mathematics they way they divide languages. Their should be classes for Linear Algebra, Calculus(integral and differential), combinatoris, statistics, etc. Students should only study math directly related to their field. By college most math should also be applied mathematics.

By using the strategy above, I believe we could greatly increase peoples interest in math and graduate more engineers and scientists.

 

Nothing to with your country... I also suck at math and dropped out of university because of it.

Glad I did... I now earn way more than the guys that did finish their studies

 

"Why many people suck a math."

We also need to work on our english education

I suck at math - that's what computers and calculators are for. I really suck at writing - years of typing has completely ruined my ability to write anything that doesn't look like a two year old with a crayon

 

I suck at math... and it's not because of schooling, it's because my brain is not wired for math comprehension. I just "don't get it"... It's a proven fact that some people just are not made for math. It does not mean I (we) are stupid, I had a very high gpa and recieved several honors, just not in math.

It really sucked too. In geometry, it seemed so simple in class when the teacher gave her lecture, but then at home, doing the homework, I just couldn't make it happen. It just never 'clicked'. But that's ok, cuz I'm very good at many other subjects and have very well for myself.

I think you raise some good points, but not everyone fits your generality.

 

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one... sheesh... my writing is horrible.

 

Sam here. Writing everything by hand takes too damn long. And it looks like crap afterwards.

 

You mean a+b, c/d and such things?

 

I understend what you are saing except I prefer to call it MATHS! (UK)

I studied physics at A level but found the maths very hard because we had not been taught maths on a practicle level.

However, I get by with maths, but spelling - wow! I cannot spell, I can't spell to save my life. I need to spell to do my job, but I can't. Luckly I can communicate well with people and manage to get by, but to have the gift of spelling would be great. It effects my communication on the WWW. because I cannot put words down to describe answers, emotions etc hence my written word here is very band.

I even have trouble using spell check as similar words screw me up - what is the knack to it, I cannot phonetically spell words out and work them out, it really pisses me off.

Sorry for ranting and thank god for MSN Word and spell check - sorry also for hi-jacking your thread.

this broadcast was brought to you thanks to MS word

Cheers

PS my keyboard is also crap and I hit keys and nothing happens

 

Um your agumnet is flawed. You need to learn the fundemental maths before you can more on to the maths for specific careers. Every student who does engineering or technical stuff should learn calculus one and two atleast. Statistics is also useful. And it would be to difficult to administer a bunch of math programs for each career.

I do math on my spare time. Wit this intenret stuff I have had less time to do math, but it is cool deriving interesting formulas.

 

Math came easy to me, it was the other side of my brain that needed work.

 

Are you artistic or good at sport MIKEDAMMANN?

 

Did you not go to a real university? Every college I've seen has vastly different mathematical requirements for different types of majors.

An English major can generally take something like College Algebra and Trig. A mechanical engineer would have to take 3 semesters of Calculus.

The reason why some people are better than other people at math is because of the way their brain processes information. Sure the education system has some problems, but that's only a part of the issue.

 

Thats the same with me--my spelling sucks- Spell Check is my savior: http://www.spellcheck.net/
I also suck at Math--getting my daugther through the 1st - 8th grade was a breeze but than after that she was on her own--on the other hand her Dad is a Math Nut......but sadly Ashley takes after me---Go Figure!

 

By that justification English lessons should be split up into fiction, poetry and prose (great Primus song), journalism, arguement skills, spelling, creative writing etc...

Art into drawing, painting, sculpture... etc...

I believe things should be more vocational. If someone wants to be a car mechanic, then teach them to be a car mechanic. You could easily weave in maths, physics, chemistry, maths, accounting, metalwork etc into the course.

Same with most vocations. All these skills are transferable should the kid change its mind.

 

As for spell checkers, thank google for the Toolbar spellchecker!
(Which doesn't actually work on this setup, but still, thanks google!)

 

By doing so, you pretty much sentence someone to be "that" for life; with very little chance of becoming more.

 

Musically yes and I'm good at some sports (Tennis prolly my best).

 

Math isn't important in the US. If it was people would realize how much (percentage wise) taxes were. We might even realize the price of gasoline is more the fault of who we elect than the middle east.

Now back to "Bread and Circuses" approach to education. Incorporate more finger paint, and maybe a third foreign language, then we can eliminate Reading as well. Muhahahahaha Welcome to Wall, Insert your self here. muahahahaha

Damn, I need a hobby.

tom

 

Well, the way I imagined it, you wouldn't. Seeing as the skills are pretty much the same, it's just how you apply them.

But on the other hand I can see where you're coming from. I know how stubborn employers are at finding someone with the "right" education.

Perhaps job interviews should be the exams... no, that's a terrible idea.

 

Actually if you extend gas prices from the 50's to today, our gas price should be 2.35 a gallon or something (inflational increases only); so if you think about it, gas prices have been cheap for quite a long time and now prices are a little higher than what they should be.