Promoting Arithmetic and Algebra By Example 158
Capt.Albatross writes "A couple of months ago, the New York Times published political scientist Andrew Hacker's opinion that teaching algebra is harmful. Today, it has followed up with an article that is clearly intended to indicate the usefulness of basic mathematics by suggesting useful exercises in a variety of 'real-world' topics. While the starter questions in each topic involve formula evaluation rather than symbolic manipulation, the follow-up questions invite readers to delve more deeply.
The value of mathematics education has been a (recurring issue on Slashdot)."
an example where algebra is useful? (Score:5, Insightful)
Aside from the obvious ones in engineering, where few kids will participate...
There is the issue of "how much paint will I need to paint my house?"
Doing the math will save you money.
My Brave Suggestion (Score:2, Insightful)
I must bravely agree with the author completely. We must prepare our children for the future. Clearly we need a few intellectuals. But these folks all wear grey and work far too hard. The semi-intellectuals are about the same. Let's have our school system produce more of us, the ones who have the truly best balance in our work. We are smarter than the manual labor groups but don't have to work or study as hard as the elites.
The NYT's Missed the Reason for Algebra Altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
The reason is not algebra's application to daily life. The reason you teach algebra is because algebra teaches symbolic manipulation. Learning math teaches you not just how to add two numbers. Addition is almost unnecessary in daily life (we do have calculators). Learning algebra is critical because it teaches us to think in terms of abstractions, of models. We do not teach mathematics to teach you how to add, we teach mathematics to teach you how to solve, to teach you how to think.
Missing the point (Score:5, Insightful)
Andrew Hacker and nearly everyone else is missing the point.
Taking an algebra class for many students is not about the algebra, it's about learning to think. Even if you never use algebra again, the process of learning algebra is mental exercise that improves the mind. Taking a foreign language, studying biology, learning economics, studying history - it doesn't matter what the subject is, merely the more you learn the better a learner you are, and the better thinker you are.
In sports we see athletes perform all kinds of exercises that help develop skills used in their sport, but are never used directly. Ever see footage of a football player stepping through tires? Ever see one do that during the game? Ever see footage of a quarterback or pitcher throwing the ball through a hanging tire? Ever see them do that in a game? Athletics is filled with examples of training exercises done to hone one's skills for a game, yet we have difficulty accepting that mental exercises hone skills we need for life.
The Fallacy of Utility (Score:5, Insightful)
I suspect that algebra has value beyond its immediate application and utility. I think this is often overlooked in debates like this. When learning algebra, you are in effect modifying your brain in a particular way. You are training yourself to think a certain way. You can gain a feeling of mastery if you learn it well. And implicitly, you are taught the value of reason and logic. The very fact that you are asked to learn algebra carries the message that logic and rational thinking are valuable skills, and that people who are good at such things are particularly valuable to society. The pursuit of a topic like algebra encourages discipline and structure in the way you think about many other things.
To focus only on the immediate applications of algebra is small minded and unwise, in my opinion.
Re:My Brave Suggestion (Score:4, Insightful)
(At the risk of repeating one of my other comments)
Do you think the abstract problem solving you practised while learning algebra (or eg calculus later on) has subconsciously helped your programming?
I'm of the opinion that the primary benefit of learning algebra and calculus etc isn't the specific techniques you learn but the ability to think in a much more abstract way when required. Even after most of the actual techniques have faded from memory, you still have the subconscious rewiring left behind by abstract problem solving.
And it is very important for a programmer to think abstractly.