I've lost what little advanced math knowledge I once had.?ÿ My son, a 3rd-year (what we used to call a "junior" back when getting through college in 4 years was the norm) physics major persists in believing that I'm still smarter than he is, and whenever he's home he insists on walking me through assorted physics problems.?ÿ I used to try to follow along with the math, but now I just smile and nod whenever he says, "Still with me?".
My youngest son can run circles around me when it comes to doing math. He's SO much better at it than I am or ever was.
I've lost what little advanced math knowledge I once had.?ÿ My son, a 3rd-year (what we used to call a "junior" back when getting through college in 4 years was the norm) physics major persists in believing that I'm still smarter than he is, and whenever he's home he insists on walking me through assorted physics problems.?ÿ I used to try to follow along with the math, but now I just smile and nod whenever he says, "Still with me?".
I too have lost nearly all my advanced math knowledge and am so glad to know I am not alone in the bewilderment department. I too give the aforementioned nod and smile. I do that concerning modern car repairs also.
Oh man, I'm glad that it isn't just me. My son insists on explaining his advanced calculus to me and I just sit there thinking "I used to be able to understand this, but I have no idea what he is talking about".
When my children started coming home with homework I would sit down with them when they needed help.
They pulled out their math and as I began to show him on paper how to go about the calculations it just went downhill.
Evidently, my ancient math has been replaced by new math and I had to talk with the teacher to find out what was up.
Was told that old math does not fill the bill and will not be tolerated in their school.
The school don't call me anymore, I have become their worst nightmare.
In a physical half a world away I participated in this exact debate last night, with a group of engineering university auditors/accreditors(sp). We all agreed that most, if not all, of the university engineering math was never used again (Fourier series, fourth level differentiation (sp), etc.), and therefore was/is a waste of time. However, someone also pointed out that the boffins have researched that the ability to do this stuff is a more important measure of ability to reason/comprehend/work-out, such that those who are capable in this high level math are also capable?ÿof ability to reason/comprehend/work-out. Therefore it stays in the curriculum. I agree with that, and am thankful for my education for stirring the ability to think.
high school freshman here in the house.?ÿ i just woke up this morning with the answer to her perplexing question from last night.?ÿ seems to me- at least from what she's faced with- that not much has changed.?ÿ i remember these same questions and problems, and having the same general "WTF?" reaction to them.?ÿ problem with most of it, imo, is the way the questions are contextualized, which is to say: they ain't.
i get the value in knowing what, for instance, the phrase "x-intercept" means, or how to write some byzantine function.?ÿ but if it just got put into relatable terms:?ÿ "how far away you reckon that fencepost is down there at the bottom of the hill?"?ÿ for me (and my kid), anyways, that immediately makes a complex equation 100 times easier to deal with.
Real world application is the key. ?ÿThe student needs to imagine they might eventually have a need to know how to do it in the real world.
This came up because I have a guy working for me who graduated Penn State last spring with a mining engineering degree. Part of his degree requirement was once semester of computer programming.?ÿ
He said his adviser got all his students an exemption to replace the class with one in 'Spreadsheets & Databases" - his adviser's position was that one semester of programming was worthless for an entry level engineer, but every company needs someone who is an Excel expert.?ÿ?ÿ
This came up because I have a guy working for me who graduated Penn State last spring with a mining engineering degree. Part of his degree requirement was once semester of computer programming.?ÿ
He said his adviser got all his students an exemption to replace the class with one in 'Spreadsheets & Databases" - his adviser's position was that one semester of programming was worthless for an entry level engineer, but every company needs someone who is an Excel expert.?ÿ?ÿ
when i went back for hours required to sit for the exam, 15 or 16 years ago now or whatever, one of the classes i took was a statistics class.?ÿ this was when i had that epiphany.?ÿ the whole semester was spent learning how to make excel do backflips.?ÿ i guess i wish i woulda retained more of that than i did, but in a lot of ways i'm glad i didn't...
