Math Education: A response to "An Inconvenient Truth" Part1

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Math Education: A response to "An Inconvenient Truth" Part1

Uploaded by: jamesblackburnlynch
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I saw a video on youtube called "Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth" and felt like it needed a response from someone whose career is in math education. This is the perspective of one college professor.
And about the "standard algorithm" for multiplication where we write:
16
32
___
Etc. A little thought leads to the realization that this really is just 32*16=(30+2)*16=30*16+2*16. Hence the "standard algorithm" is identical with this method of multiplication.
Oh, and interestingly, the "standard algorithm" isn't really standard after all. Talk to folks from other countries sometime and ask them to multiply and divide for you. Their algorithm may be quite different seeming from yours. In fact, of course, it's all really the same because mulitplication is truly only one well-defined operation. How you arrive at the answer may appear different, but in the end, at root, they are all the same.

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Firstly I can ... ( 1 month ago by digiblood)

Firstly I can understand your concern for the current warped perception of mathematics young students have.
My concern is that implementing such algorithms in early education will cause a steeper learning curve and exclusion.
Also, it's possible that these techinques will be memorized rather than conceptualized by majority.
I believe that controlled studies in educational psychology must be conducted in this area to understand these issues before futher action. There's a greater good.

I see many of my ... ( 1 month ago by anirudh757)

I see many of my peers see math as just a bunch of formulas. However, many times I have learned to apply formulas before I have learned of their true origins and meaning. Despite of this, my understanding of math is quite strong. The emphasis should be to first make the students learn the formula and then learn the implications and basis for them when they are old enough to quickly understand them. Example: learning about circular atomic orbits before energy shells and probability.

The Math Education ... ( 1 month ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

The Math Education field is full of this research. In fact, these books are coming out of these studies. They include lots of research with children and plenty of actual lab studies. However, those are different from the actual classroom environment, as they are finding in implimentation. Now they need to figure out the difference and how to address it.

Some students can ... ( 1 month ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Some students can learn with any pedagogy. I learned with, for the most part, the old style of teaching. Bored me to death, but in the end it didn't hurt me none. I was thrilled when I got to calculus and, finally, the ideas were pre-eminent.
Still, that it worked for you and me doesn't mean it's the best way. When I look at the majority of students, it didn't work for them.

I'd like to think ... ( 1 month ago by barkingwurli)

I'd like to think that the value of a math education to the vast majority of people is the exercise in logic. Unfortunately, many math classes, especially high school math classes are not taught this way. Ultimately what math class really should teach us to do, and even at a very early age, is solve a problem. Even when we are solving a problem that does not involve numbers, we revert to the simple logic skills we learned in math class. Well, I do anyways.

I agree. That is ... ( 1 month ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

I agree. That is the goal. And I question our focus on algebra in HS because of that. Is that the best way to teach logical thinking? Or to address the math that is most useful to those who will likely take little to no more?
These are different questions.

what sort of school ... ( 1 month ago by panchumian)

what sort of school/college do you teach at? Just curious, because you refer to yourself as a "math professor" several times.

I teach at a small ... ( 1 month ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

I teach at a small liberal arts college in Kentucky.

word... ( 3 weeks ago by wawa99)

word...

I do not agree on ... ( 2 weeks ago by Tsoy1984)

I do not agree on this with you. The way I learned it was conventional, but as the years passed those bunch of formulas started to make sense to me! It did not took me long, by the way. It is easier to teach mechanics and then explain the concepts because a student then can really apply them to real world situations. The concepts do not help if you cannot solve a problem. By the way, there is proved method why use less efficient one. If you have a better one please bring it on.

But I have tell you ... ( 2 weeks ago by Tsoy1984)

But I have tell you this, the one you promoting now is not a good one. Look at how Russian schools teach mathematics, how Chinese schools teach mathematics, it is not the way you guys do. It is old school teaching style. I am not saying that there is no better system, just come up with the better one.

Two comments: 1) ... ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Two comments: 1) What works for one person does not mean it works for most, and 2) A "proven method" would not have such an abysmal track record. The "old method" has led to at least 50 years of unacceptable math skills and understanding in the general populace in the States.
I also disagree with the implication that you don't need to understand the concepts to solve a problem. Only rote problems can be solved without understanding what the concept is.

Similarly, what ... ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Similarly, what works for one culture (or two) doesn't necessarily work for others. The Russian and Chinese systems appear (I say "appear" because I'm not there) to work well. But those are very different societies. When a student is not working hard in those societies, to whom is the focus on? The schools? The teacher? Or the student?

Array ( 1 week ago by LondonBhoy)

James?
I want to thank you for at least raising the questions about what Maths - as we in the British Isles call it -
I am an Adult literacies and numeracy tutor and it's clear that the old system is not the way for many of our citizens.
PS YOur guitar stuff is great for a old returner like me too.

proof please! i ... ( 1 week ago by purplexenno)

proof please! i remember back in the 90's when a high school in alabama was producing students so bad that a local aircraft buisness refused to hire them. The company need employees who could add and subtract fractions. That's it. There complaints ranged from applicants who signed with an X because they couldn't spell to not being able to add without fractions. This isn't an issue of conventional vs. "new".

This is an issue of ... ( 1 week ago by purplexenno)

This is an issue of can they add. I don't care if they use the vedic system (which i consider the easiest), but when more and more students are leaving high school not properly trained, either because they think it's stupid (which IS stupid) to they don't understnad (which is a parnet/teacher problem) then there is a larger problem that your excuse (the teaching of the "ideas" behind math) doesn't cut it. Face it, between English and Math our kids are getting more and more stupid each year.

barkingwurli had it ... ( 1 week ago by purplexenno)

barkingwurli had it right. Math is for solving problems. That is what we use it for. I'm no slouch in math (my major is chemical engineering). now English gives me fits but i try as best as i can. I understand that the rules are there for a reason. To teach kids that there are no rules (the cluster method) is setting them up to fail. Yes your going to have students who need extra time. The best math teacher i ever had used those of us who understood to teach those who didn't. Great class that!

Thanks. ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Thanks.

Using students to ... ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Using students to teach each other is a good idea that is frequently used.
But I don't understand your main claim. The cluster method is, of course, a set of rules. It's, in fact, easier to see its relationship to the key rule (the Distributive Law of Multiplication over Addition) than the standard algorithm. Many argue it is less efficient and don't like it for that reason. But it certainly is just another set of rules.

Proof of what? You ... ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Proof of what? You are presenting evidence that at least 10 years ago these problems were significant. I have evidence, which I'd be happy to talk about, that these problems existed in the 1940's in the States and were at least as serious.
So, I agree. It's not really conventional vs. "new" It's about finding something that works, whatever it takes.

Where is the proof ... ( 1 week ago by jamesblackburnlynch)

Where is the proof for your statement? While the math level is very low for many students, that's very different from saying kids are getting stupider. That seems clearly false to me. They are more technological aware than any previous generation. The US is still in the forefront in the computer world. They aren't stupid. But our education system is still producing poorly prepared students in plenty of areas.

lol you want to ... ( 1 week ago by sw33tb0y77)

lol you want to make small children think in a logic way O_O ain't gonna happen any time soon.

JAMES wooo wooo ... ( 1 week ago by cougarsrule45)

JAMES wooo wooo wooo, James, I must say, I absolutely loved your calc. 2 class. I don't know about this whole math debate (and don't much care). In the physics department, we asked Dr. Lahamer "why" about something and he said "don't ask why". Obviously that's blasphemy in James book. But newho, I must say I loved your class sir for the simple fact that you didn't give a whole lot of homework.
Just wanted to say hi. And I think you're VERY passionate about math which is a good thing.

yeah, brandon brown ... ( 1 week ago by cougarsrule45)

yeah, brandon brown (you had me like three or four semesters ago) left that comment.

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Math Education: A response to "An Inconvenient Truth" Part1

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