Sometimes I wonder why we need to learn high level math. I understand that we need to have basic math knowledge at school like addition and substraction sums, but I don't understand why we need to learn high level of math. The thing is, most of us don't use this kind of mathematics at our job or daily life. If you want to become a math teacher, then it make sense to have this high level math knowledge.
Do you even use algebra or matrixes at your job? What are the common jobs nowadays? Do these jobs require high level math skills? I think besides math teachers, cashiers use math skills (low level math). So what is the purpose of teaching students/kids high level math? Is it not better that schools teach students other things that really matters and are useful for their future?
How beautiful can you write?
I believe that teachers focus too much on things that don't really matter. They focus on how beautiful you can write. My son's teacher told me that his handwriting is getting worser. I told her that my handwriting isn't good and clear either yet I have my Bachelor's degree. OK, it's not a master, but who cares? It doesn't make me less smarter than someone with a master. Evryone has their own talents. It's 2018 and most of the time we use our PC, laptop or phone to communicate with others. We write less with a pen on a piece of paper. So why this focus on writing beautiful? This school is also teaching kids to write old school, so not with block letters. We really need to go with the time. It's 2018 and I think writing old school doesn't make any sense.
What can schools teach kids instead?
How to survive
After watching the movie Skyscraper with The Rock, I realised that we(our family) don't know how to survive either in the jungle or when danger is coming unexpectedly. I think it would be more fun for kids too to learn how to survive instead of just learning how to read, write and calculate. There is just so much more to offer and so much more to learn. The world isn't just writing, reading and calculating. My oldest son often says that school lessons are boring. I think I would feel bored too. Ofcourse his school holds events for kids, but when it comes to lessons, they could make it more interesting for small kids to keep them motivated.
Cooking
How fun would it be if kids have cooking lessons every Friday afternoon for example? Cooking wouldn't be just fun for kids, but they also learn about healthy food and being independent by preparing their own meal. I am starting to teach my kids( age 6 and 8) how to cook and to prepare their own meal. (My oldest son LOVE to watch Masterchef.) They really love it and I think it is wise to start when they are this young. I want my kids to be able to be independent and not being dependent on their wife, if they will marry later. So they can cook for their wife too. :-D.
First Aid
You can never be old enough to learn CPR and first aid. Kids should learn CPR and First Aid already from the beginning. If something happens to the teacher or to another kid and there are no other adult there, a kid age 4 can do CPR and know what to do and not wasting time. How wonderful it would be if we all know how to help each other in emergencies.
Money
Kids do learn about money at school. Most of the time it's related to math. So how much money you get back etc. This is good, but schools can go further with money by teaching kids what to do with their money. Maybe teaching them how to invest wisely? :-D. Another thing they could teach kids with money, is to give some to the poor. THAT would be a very good lesson for kids. We all have to start young learning good habits, right?
Very true.
Some math is vital, like the ability to do fast mental calculus for decision making, but pretty much all of that could just be handed over to Khan Academy.
The real complicated math is necessary only for those who already have a goal in mind.
AKA., to learn anything really complex, you have to know why you, specifically, want to learn it. It's pretty well observed that social and academic "because we told you so" only works for certain very limited subjects, and then only for certain very specific people who put the view of others above their own.
My personal opinion is that they should not teach kids these maths. They should show them the very basics, then show them exactly what these kinds of calculations are used for. Show them Mathamagic tricks, how actual professionals use it, maybe even some basic research in maths for those that are really curious...
I've seen a couple of 3D design studios while browsing the web that started out not knowing much computer or maths, having passed and then promptly forgotten about it during their education, and ending up experts in their narrow fields because they needed the maths for what they wanted to do.
To cut my semi-rant short: Education should be about asking what the person being educated wants to DO with the knowledge, then teach them exactly what they need to know, and where to find more comprehensive information, instead of trying to cram it down their throats regardless
I agree, as I said, high level math has benefits for people who has a job where they also use high level math. Most of us after graduation, dont have the job where this high level of math is needed.
Great and brilliant post my dear friend. Valuable information and I appreciate your work. In mathematics lots of chapters are not important to learn but we have to learn it because it is our course.
the basics of math, yes.
thats very true written. I lost everything in the math from the school time. And now I didnt need it any more as well. There are many things which only fills our brains with rubbish
Same here, i also don't use this high level math. It is cool if you can do this high level math, but most of us don't use it in our job or daily life.
I completely agree with you I do not really remember when I used an algebra in my real life :0
I really wish this kind of teaching systems just leaves behind time really has changed yet we are learning like the way our ancestors used to learn.
I do agree with your wise ideas and this kind of lessons could really be of help in their future !
Thank you. Yes, more other subjects would be nice to have for kids as we need to go with the time.
I don't support some of the points here. Maths is an essential part of us. Fine you don't use differential equations to get a meal from the fridge but you know that you would never type this or meet me if not for those maths?
Almost everything we know in this life is built on technology and that wouldn't be possible without math. You will say, its not for everyone. Fine, but how will the teacher in kindergarten knows that Dan Larimer will need programming skill and Donald trump will not? So we just teach all these basic skills to everyone and allow those who will use it to take it into their system.
Handwriting? The purpose of communication is to exchange information. Writing is communication but it won't achieve it's purpose if the recipient can't read. I'm not saying everyone must write as beautiful as Sam Smith's voice but if others can't read what you are writing, then the intended use is defeated. And remember, writing is an art and art is good for a growing brain.
First of all, i wasnt talking about kindergardens, but about schools.SO it shows that you didn't even read my post entirely. I am mainly focusing on high level math, not the general math.Ofcourse we need basic knowledge of math. Again, it shows you didn't read my post. If you say that a teacher doesn't know that Donald Trump would become a president, then I guess it means we need add politics too at schools?
Yes, high level math is important when it comes to technology, but kids choose their own way and WHEN they go to university they will get high level math if they say it is required. Even after university, sometimes you need more knowledge about certain things, so you will still have to get a course. How often do we become someone/ get a job with our qualifications? Most of the time you will need experience to get a certain job. If you are a starter, and you get the job, you still need trainings. SO these trainings are crucial. Handwriting, what about those doctors? They learn to write beautiful at school, but at the end they write messy. You comment on this post, and your comment isn't written, right? It's typed. You say writing is communicating. I never said it's not. Nowadays we communicate through e-mail, phone and face2face. EVen a book isn't written, but typed. You can disagree with me, i don't mind. That's your opinion as I have mine.It's just a pity that you didn't read my post entirely because I never spoke about kindergardens and basic math being bad.
I think it's very important not to overlook the fact that there is a difference between passing on knowledge and passing on skills. And also how they fade away depending on how (much) we use them and how much they interest us. Sure I don't remember those matrices, trigonometry, ... but they lay a foundation for further education later on at university. They helped me analyze problems which is a much broader skill than maths alone. Those basic skills helped me learn other skills that are the skills what my boss pays me for.
In my field of interest skills are more important than knowledge. Our IT is evolving so fast that 10 year old knowledge has become obsolete. But that doesn't hold true for everything. Languages, history, ... they involve skill and knowledge.
I always say in school they learn you how to walk and tell you you'll need it to be able to run later on. But maybe you go on and need running to play basketball. But maybe you go iceskating in which case you at least have learned how to keep equilibrum.
We tend to complain too much about our education. We need to remember we're lucky to have such a good one. Lot's of people would literally die for something much worse.
If you use High level math at your job, then you learned it not for nothing, so , good for you. But for many people like me, my husband and the people I know, we don't use this high level math. I am not saying that schools aren't good and that we have to go homeschooling our kids. I am saying that schools can focus on other intersting things because kids can get bored pretty quick and the world isnt just about (high kevel) math. There are also creative people like fashion designers for example who don't use high level math at all or when you have your own business. Intellegence isn't just how good you are in math.
LOL :-D. That's true!
Keren ini tulisannya kak, ada benarnya apa yang kakak bilang, kita tidak menggunakan semua rumus itu dalam kehidupan sehari - hari, kenapa juga harus belajar terlalu tinggi tentang matematika, untung saya suka bolos dulu saat SMU, jadi ga nyesal-nyesal kali lah.. Ha ha ha ha
Wah, untung kamu bolos ya :-D. Jadi gak sia2 hehehe
He he he, iya kak.. Ga kebayang para temanku yang pada hafal rumus itu.. Ha ha ha