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FeUerFlieGe
United States1193 Posts
Now the article does have a good argument, but I feel like if I wasn't forced to take math in Highschool, I would have never learned to love it. I also feel like many of the students at my high school who are retaking algebra over and over again simply don't focus on school itself. They don't just fail at math, but they don't do their english homework and don't study for history. Don't you think the problem is bigger than, "Teach less math"? | ||
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yurta
Canada91 Posts
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Dzemoo
48 Posts
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zalz
Netherlands3704 Posts
Everyone can learn Algebra if that is the only subject they have all year. Everyone can learn history if that is the only subject they have all year. The point is proving that you can carry the collective weight. Other than that, not much of what you learn in high school is really that important. The difference between having a high school diploma and not having a high school diploma is non-existent when you don't pursue higher education. | ||
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Twelve12
Australia268 Posts
If you answered yes to any of those, yes algebra should be taught I realise this is talking about teaching it to everyone or not, rather than just people interested in science, but foundations in maths are important to develop early (before students make decisions about the directions of their study) so that more advanced things can be taught in later years | ||
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paralleluniverse
4065 Posts
On July 29 2012 15:20 Twelve12 wrote: Do you want us to be able to do anything with engineering and science ever? like improve technology or build things? Do you want there to be a starcraft 3 one day? If you answered yes to any of those, yes algebra should be taught Did you read the OP or the article? I'm not saying that we should cease all teaching of algebra. I'm saying that it shouldn't be required because hardly anyone would need to use algebra beyond school. Being an engineer requires that you know algebra and math in general. But more importantly, it requires that you know how to code in MATLAB. | ||
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setzer
United States3284 Posts
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paralleluniverse
4065 Posts
On July 29 2012 15:24 setzer wrote: America's education system is totally fucked if we have reached a point where we actually have to ask the question "is algebra necessary?" What couldn't be more necessary than boosting the mathematically capibilities of our students this generation and future generations in our increasingly complex world? Did you quote that off some education policy speech? | ||
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RodrigoX
United States645 Posts
On July 29 2012 15:15 paralleluniverse wrote: I use algebra daily too, but seriously, how many people do you think need to know algebra? The article cites some source which places it at 5%. I'm not saying to stop teaching algebra and I don't think that's what the article says. In fact, the article agrees that society would collapse without math, but 5% of people need to use algebra means that 95% of people don't. And I have no wish to force it upon them. Well I guess my point, is that this term "need" is a useless term. To be quite honest, to survive, we literally only need the ability to forage food and find shelter. What I am saying is that regardless of this term need, people need to know algebra because if they don't they are quite legitimately stupid people. This thing that someone can know JUST biology and ONLY biology is a bad idea. People need to be educated in an array of subjects, to truly understand one singular subject. A great analogy (maybe not even an analogy) is this. If you want to understand Sociology, you need to understand Psychology. To understand Psychology, you need to understand Biology. To understand Biology, you need to understand Chemistry. To understand Chemistry, you need to understand Physics, and to understand Physics, you need to understand Math. That's a fact, and that's why people need to learn algebra. | ||
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GGTeMpLaR
United States7226 Posts
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sOda~
United Kingdom441 Posts
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Spiffeh
United States830 Posts
I think math should be integral in any school curriculum, but we need to also recognize when we would be better off making the kids better at what they're already good at. If Johnny shows early adeptness and passion for the guitar, we should push him to dedicate his time to learning scales instead of some math he will learn to despise. It's cases like these where kids get bored or frustrated and learn to hate the system. | ||
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ThePlayer33
Australia2378 Posts
this is because you don't have to be academically excellent to become a middle/high school teacher. then it rolls on. anyone can confirm with personal experience and stories? | ||
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NekoFlandre
United States497 Posts
Forcing people to know quadraic equasion? how many times in life have you used it lol? None? Kay... I know how to multiply, divide, subtract and add. Hey that works well for being a buisness manager. Then again im not in a mathmatics, science, field where...it would be useful? Most like the general populace....... | ||
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Itsmedudeman
United States19229 Posts
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TheRabidDeer
United States3806 Posts
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CKKQl.jpg) This is indicative of how bad the education system is for americans (in terms of math). Personally, I never had too big of a problem with math... and I actually love algebra because of how simple it is and how much application I can get out of it on a day to day basis. I can use algebra for games (especially RPG's), figuring out tips, and all kinds of other stuff. I am curious though, what is it with algebra that people dont get? It is a simple set of rules that you follow, and thats it. You can even guess and check a lot of things if you have the time. EDIT: BTW, the current numbers for that poll: 40: 72k 0: 1.9 million 20: 420k 15: 782k | ||
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shindigs
United States4795 Posts
i really enjoyed calculus since my teacher kept giving us real world applications and really knew how to tie all the concepts together. | ||
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r.Evo
Germany14080 Posts
Quote my math teacher from 11th grade. If there is a 40% failure rate in a single subject and on top of that other countries manage to teach more about it in less time then it's not the subjects fault. Edit: In my school (standard Gymnasium) we had about 5% of people having to repeat classes and that's not exactly a low rate for Bavaria specifically. I also genuinely doubt that the algebra we learned was considerably harder than at the schools that article refers to. | ||
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Sub40APM
6336 Posts
The fact of the matter is somehow, miraculously, countries as diverse as Finland and China manage to teach algebra to their kids well enough. But no, it cant be the American education system, it has to be the subject! | ||
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BuddhaMonk
781 Posts
I don't think this is necessarily a question about algebra specifically, but the education system does need to do a better job at being aware of the current labor markets and training the students accordingly. | ||
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