Is Math Worth the Sacrifice

Since ancient times, people have complained for the need of learning math. I'll never need to use it in the real world. My desire is to be a fireman or a cowboy or a news reporter and they will never need to know what a number is. Nowadays, with the common use of electronic devices and all sorts of electronic wonders which are carried by school age children, it's a better question than ever before. Why should someone put effort in the formulas and memorize the times tables of the traditional math course? Why would you want to take any effort in working with formulas, and even worse, memorizing them, when the same thing can be done with a calculator a zillion times faster? It seems like a valid concern, and students ask it all the time

There are some responses to the question which may require some maturity to understand. No one finds it entertaining to memorize facts; however starting with basics is the start of most fields of learning. It is a possibility that presenting math in a different way, though, could radically improve the understanding of why we study math.

The first reason why children should work on math problems is that they force them to read and comprehend the question or problem. The student learns to organize their thinking in order to understand the true dimensions of the problem. The formulas by themselves won't help to understand how to apply a formula. In order to master that ability, the students need to get their brains active in order to recognize patterns and elements that will allow them to associate knowledge and to gain understanding. To be able to lay out the parameters of the math problem will help a student learn the same procedure for other fields of study as well.

Also, the purpose of math is to give this mental order that allows to understand actually how to operate the calculators and other electronic devices. In other words, you need to now math to make your math easier using a calculator. While the actual calculation performed by a calculator does greatly simplify even routine problem solving, to raise three generations of students with no understanding of how to use a calculator to determine which of two items in different sized containers costs more is a travesty of the concept of mathematics education. Many adults fail to understand the concept of reconciling a bank statement, or calculating true cost of an adjustable rate mortgage.

This problem is faced by educators all around the globe. Standardized tests put in evidence a decrease in the math understanding of our students and the tendency doesn't seem to be in the way of getting reverted in the short-run. Criticism of teachers for 'teaching to the test' wide and strong, but in the case of math, it is difficult to see how logic and inductive reasoning which are required to solve most real life math problems can be considered teaching to the test.

About The Author:
Robert is an active member of MGT, a tutoring resource that offers help with math homework .

Tags: MATH HELP, MATH EDUCATION

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Title:	Is Math Worth the Sacrifice
Author:	Rob Duval
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Is Math Worth the Sacrifice