Why Hate Math, It's Not Even Golf?
I went to school yesterday though it was already Holy Wednesday. I have to sign some report cards of one junior section. This section is under me in computer programming. The group is a heterogeneous bunch of students - from the most intelligent of the batch to the least. The students, however, are jovial, easier to deal with and quite respectful. As I was going through their final average grades, I found out that Computer III (my subject), Chemistry and Geometry grades are not as high as the other non-number subjects. Computer programming, Chemistry and Geometry are subjects that demand highly of the students' mathematical and logical reasoning skills. Sadly, students today are not able to develop well their higher order thinking skills which include analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
If a rough survey will be done, majority of high school students do not love Mathematics as they do for English and Science. When has this seeming abhorrence for numbers started? It must have started very early in one's life. When we were born, our brains contain only minimal traces of learning. Since knowledge acquisition is mostly experiential, learning therefore is much dictated by what life experiences one has - realistic, contrived and dramatized. Solving problems early in life, even while still a toddler, helps in developing math/logic skills. Our greatest problem, however, is we tend to pamper so much our children when they were still young. We gave them almost anything without the children doing any in return to compensate the favor. Children as early as one year old should be given simple tasks to do and simple commands to follow. These two are just some of the ways of jump-starting their eagerness to embrace numbers later on in life.
Mathematics is reflected in nature. Wherever one looks, the laws governing numbers-their position in space-are very apparent. Everything beautiful around us in fact is governed by geometric symmetry. Flower blooms, sea shells, bee hives and even ridiculous shirt designs follow patterns that are obviously mathematics in origin. Decisions to be made in life are governed by logic and logical reasoning. Logical reasoning has its basis in mathematics. Everything around us, therefore, is governed by the laws of numbers. When a child has been pervertedly and unconsciously taught to loath numbers, this poor creature is doomed to extinction. To survive life, one needs intelligence for both numbers and logical reasoning. This is obviously because everything around is touched by numbers.
The poor showing of students in high school subjects related to Mathematics is complex in origin, hence, demands a complex solution. There is just no simple solution to it. However, anybody's first concern is to undo the damage that has been done long before the child enters the school. It is imperative that students should be motivated back to love numbers and embrace solving problems with numbers. They should made to realize that there is nothing difficult with numbers, but it takes time to deal with numbers and with problems involving numbers. When the students were still young, they were made to understand that everything in life is easy. Thus today students don't like to spend so much time thinking and doing things such as solving mathematical problems. Analysis needs time to concentrate. This is what teenagers today do not have. They were not taught patience and perseverance, both of which are attitudes needed not only in solving math but real life problems.
Because Chemistry, Geometry and Computer programming all demand precious time and perseverance, students do not like these subjects. Obviously, though, they do not have any option but to take them in third year. The role both teachers and parents should play alike is to support these students. Make them understand that numbers are not the problem but their attitude about hard work. Though education is needed in life, it is not however needed to get rich. Mathematics is badly needed to get rich. Top US billionaires have parents who have high math IQ. Most of them have not gone to college, but most of them have one way or the other work with numbers. Successful people in sports know their mathematics. Efren the Magician knows very well his Trigonometry and Physics. Manny the Pacman thinks logically. Even Chris Tiu must have been good with math; however, according to him it was discipline and perseverance that made him succeed in basketball. Tiger Woods should be good in Physics, or how else is he able to sink those tiny balls in their holes - even if how ridiculous golf attire may be?
I went to school yesterday though it was already Holy Wednesday. I have to sign some report cards of one junior section. This section is under me in computer programming. The group is a heterogeneous bunch of students - from the most intelligent of the batch to the least. The students, however, are jovial, easier to deal with and quite respectful. As I was going through their final average grades, I found out that Computer III (my subject), Chemistry and Geometry grades are not as high as the other non-number subjects. Computer programming, Chemistry and Geometry are subjects that demand highly of the students' mathematical and logical reasoning skills. Sadly, students today are not able to develop well their higher order thinking skills which include analysis, synthesis and evaluation.If a rough survey will be done, majority of high school students do not love Mathematics as they do for English and Science. When has this seeming abhorrence for numbers started? It must have started very early in one's life. When we were born, our brains contain only minimal traces of learning. Since knowledge acquisition is mostly experiential, learning therefore is much dictated by what life experiences one has - realistic, contrived and dramatized. Solving problems early in life, even while still a toddler, helps in developing math/logic skills. Our greatest problem, however, is we tend to pamper so much our children when they were still young. We gave them almost anything without the children doing any in return to compensate the favor. Children as early as one year old should be given simple tasks to do and simple commands to follow. These two are just some of the ways of jump-starting their eagerness to embrace numbers later on in life.
Mathematics is reflected in nature. Wherever one looks, the laws governing numbers-their position in space-are very apparent. Everything beautiful around us in fact is governed by geometric symmetry. Flower blooms, sea shells, bee hives and even ridiculous shirt designs follow patterns that are obviously mathematics in origin. Decisions to be made in life are governed by logic and logical reasoning. Logical reasoning has its basis in mathematics. Everything around us, therefore, is governed by the laws of numbers. When a child has been pervertedly and unconsciously taught to loath numbers, this poor creature is doomed to extinction. To survive life, one needs intelligence for both numbers and logical reasoning. This is obviously because everything around is touched by numbers.
The poor showing of students in high school subjects related to Mathematics is complex in origin, hence, demands a complex solution. There is just no simple solution to it. However, anybody's first concern is to undo the damage that has been done long before the child enters the school. It is imperative that students should be motivated back to love numbers and embrace solving problems with numbers. They should made to realize that there is nothing difficult with numbers, but it takes time to deal with numbers and with problems involving numbers. When the students were still young, they were made to understand that everything in life is easy. Thus today students don't like to spend so much time thinking and doing things such as solving mathematical problems. Analysis needs time to concentrate. This is what teenagers today do not have. They were not taught patience and perseverance, both of which are attitudes needed not only in solving math but real life problems.
Because Chemistry, Geometry and Computer programming all demand precious time and perseverance, students do not like these subjects. Obviously, though, they do not have any option but to take them in third year. The role both teachers and parents should play alike is to support these students. Make them understand that numbers are not the problem but their attitude about hard work. Though education is needed in life, it is not however needed to get rich. Mathematics is badly needed to get rich. Top US billionaires have parents who have high math IQ. Most of them have not gone to college, but most of them have one way or the other work with numbers. Successful people in sports know their mathematics. Efren the Magician knows very well his Trigonometry and Physics. Manny the Pacman thinks logically. Even Chris Tiu must have been good with math; however, according to him it was discipline and perseverance that made him succeed in basketball. Tiger Woods should be good in Physics, or how else is he able to sink those tiny balls in their holes - even if how ridiculous golf attire may be?
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