Monthly SimLit Short Story Challenge

"Dollyllama108;c-17054664" wrote:

"lisabee2;c-17054475" wrote:

"chluke75;c-17054292" wrote:
@divanthesimmer Thanks! My mom used to have me type up her meeting notes from back in her nursing days. She was the English scholar, but no good on a computer. Maybe a little bit rubbed off on me from that. Math was actually my better subject. And good thing too, since the teacher's curse was right, and I do use it most every day. :D

What I find EXTREMELY amusing is the admonition from my teachers in the past re: why we learn math ... "You won't have a calculator everywhere you go ... " UMMM hello???

You're not wrong. Math is misunderstood; it's a creative philosophical discipline being presented as a series of plug-and-chug problems. (Lockhart's Lament!) At earlier levels, math allows students to practice solving problems in a context where failure shouldn't affect their lives. (Can't factor this polynomial? It's ok, you still have friends.)

At higher levels, math becomes a way of life and a spiritual practice. Sure, it looks like jargon, but if you've been exposed to more ideas about uncertainty and how things change over time, it's easier to process/communicate uncertainty and how things change over time. It's a lot like writing. You learn the language first (e.g., what it means for something to be 'linear' or 'continuous'---not numbers), then put individual concepts together to create something new. It's upsetting how effectively the education system takes all the soul out of the discipline.

As a math teacher, I completely agree. Math is mis-taught in many classroom. And kids are never told why any of it is helpful. I was told I needed math to get a job and the calculator thing, too. As a kid, both of those sounded stupid. I've never told my students such nonsense. I tell them that they need to be able to problem solve, to think logically and creatively in order to figure out a solution no matter the situation. Sometimes they'll have a good solution and other times they'll have to go back to the drawing board many times, but the important thing is to have the confidence to know you have all the tools you need right there inside of you. That's why you need math. I haven't had a student yet who didn't think that was awesome or who hasn't risen to the occasion. My curriculum is not easy (it's pretty demanding), but it is the most hands on class with more creative projects than any other class in the school. The heart of math is exploring concepts like a philosopher or an artist not just answering operations like a robot.