Should maths be taught?????

[geon]

This HAS got to be a joke........these women CANNOT be that stupid!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBv2CFTSWU

[eber3]

That's just a bad parody making fun of people that don't believe in macro evolution.

[MrGwangGwang]

You wanna see REAL stupidity look no further...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdhMSEqhfg

And that isn't a parody

[QuasarDonkey]

This HAS got to be a joke........these women CANNOT be that stupid!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBv2CFTSWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qKcJF4fOPs

[Shasthri]

This HAS got to be a joke........these women CANNOT be that stupid!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBv2CFTSWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qKcJF4fOPs

LOL, quite fitting

For anyone who is interested, here is a link to some information on America's academic ranking on mathematics.
http://4brevard.com/choice/internationa ... scores.htm

[MrGwangGwang]

Yup, those test scores aren't surprising at all - U.S. and others have been dumbing down pre-Uni curriculum for years.

[eber3]

You wanna see REAL stupidity look no further...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdhMSEqhfg

And that isn't a parody

She's smart enough to be president...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZSigyG-BZU

The best clip is the last one at 5:20.

[eber3]

This HAS got to be a joke........these women CANNOT be that stupid!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBv2CFTSWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qKcJF4fOPs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwbPRCRkMy0

[KrazeeXXL]

That's just a bad parody making fun of people that don't believe in macro evolution.

nah it's from the internets, so it must be true xD

[Peter1981]

Mathematics underpins the entire modern technological world, while the answer to the question is a resounding 'yes' the parody on youtube does point to a social misgiving and underlying mistrust of science (including mathematics). I studied mathematics at the Two of England's top Universities and while I understand mathematics I am in my daily job presented with many, otherwise intelligent, people who were switched off from mathematics a long time ago. Most of these people it seems to me lost the love of mathematics long before they lost their intrest in Science. Indeed the BBC's latest natural science program 'Frosen Planet' is receiving excellent (if not record) viewers.

When speacking with strangers mention mathematics or show that you can do a quick calculation, say 40% off £399.00 = £239.40, these people come to look at you like your bizzar. (The method I used was £399 minus 40% of £400 plus 40% of £1) no its not bizzar it just a 'trick' or I'd prefere to call it a techneque. Mathematics is about adding more sophisticated techneques on top of simpler ones. (although not strictly hiarachical see. Godel) Mathematics is taught to every one in small bite-sized ideas and concepts, imagine a brick in a building, as you learn more mathematics so succesive bricks are added to a structure, say a wall of bricks.

This ultimately leads me to ask, 'Why do school children come to hate mathematics?' Well It is my view that not all ideas and concepts are taught well so the 'brick' becomes mis-shaped or worse gets lost and is left out of the structure leaving a hole. Now a few gaps in your knowlegde isn't going to be much of a problem, but, If you have misconceptions and gaps (mis-shapes and holes) then the understanding (the structure) become unstable. Mathematics in many ways is self referencing and is designed to be checked. However in the analogy if there are to many gaps and hole in the childs knowledge then they may not beable to check their understanding.

In school children are taught mathematics for 11 years (or 429 weeks) (in England 5yr-16yr olds go to school by law), if early on addition, multiplication, subtratction, and division vex a young mind then how will they build up the skills they'll need in adulthood such as change at a till, discount in a sale, taxes to be paid, and overtime paid correctly.

IMHO educators need to ensure that every child is given the intensive suport they need to understand mathematics, because I believe that once closed to mathematics a person will rarely again attempt to understand it. Mathematics and science are opening our minds to the wonders of whats there.

http://youtu.be/1PT90dAA49Q

[MrGwangGwang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32UGD0fV45g

Math and Science are simply tools to be used when needed - shouldn't be treated like a religion - unfortunately they're slowly becoming as such

[QuasarDonkey]

Such a philistine, MrGwangGwang. There's a lot more to math than counting, measuring, and performing calculations. If that's what you mean by "math is simply a tool", you are mistaken. Math is a VAST field of study, separate from the Sciences. It is studied in it's own right. It is a language, so rigorous and precise, capable of expressing ideas that natural language cannot.

But I digress. The issue is not math becoming a religion, it most definitely is not. It's quite the opposite. Standards at which science and especially math are taught are so low, it's disturbing. So many kids now can't even add numbers or work with fractions -- why do we have to calculate when "we" invented calculators? The answer is that it's hard to grasp basic algebra without first learning those things, and without a firm grasp of algebra, they won't understand much of math since algebra is their first introduction to mathematical formalism.

Although I think I know what you're talking about, MrGwangGwang. You are of course referring to the Minions of Orthodoxy - those who blindly accept all teaching without understanding any of it, and ridicule others for questioning it -- sounds like religion all right . It's generally within the context of "controversial" and often not very rigorous areas of science. I've noticed these same people tend to be militant atheist, "pro-choice", "liberal", anti-gun, Captain Planet-types . Am I right?

http://youtu.be/5IHO0mKjy8g

[marhawkman]

Well.... the more complicated aspects of higher math are things most people will never use..... It's true. But, basic math is definately important. Especially things like knowing how to do value for money calculations and calculating interest.

[eber3]

I always enjoyed studying math, especially Geometry. Trig I found difficult beyond the basics, but still interesting. Calculus, or as I call it Cal useless, I hated with a passion. But then again even though it is taught as a separate math class, it actually isn't a area of math at all.

[MrGwangGwang]

There's a lot more to math than counting, measuring, and performing calculations. If that's what you mean by "math is simply a tool", you are mistaken. Math is a VAST field of study, separate from the Sciences. It is studied in it's own right. It is a language, so rigorous and precise, capable of expressing ideas that natural language cannot.

As you know I'm fully aware of the above. But I still submit it is a tool used at various levels of problem solving despite it being "studied in its own right" etc.

The issue is not math becoming a religion, it most definitely is not. It's quite the opposite. Standards at which science and especially math are taught are so low, it's disturbing.

Again, I know this. You're preaching to the choir and I don't know for what purpose. I've already stated that education ministries across various nations are dumbing down Mathematics (and education in general) in an above post! I agree, Mathematics is not a religion per se. But it doesn't negate the possibility (or indeed the reality) of the study, in conjunction with Science, being co-opted by the establishment to achieve its goals. The most notable example is the "Science" behind climate change.

Although I think I know what you're talking about, MrGwangGwang... militant atheist, "pro-choice", "liberal", anti-gun, Captain Planet-types...

So yes, you know precisely what I was referring to when I said Math and Science are becoming more like religion. So what was the point of your response? A failed attempt at trolling and ego stroking?