Wednesday, August 28, 2013

response to Math Illiteracy - August 22

First, I just think its unfair to generalize and say that "all U.S. citizens are not very savvy mathematically." However, everyone does lack some mathematical skills to a certain extent based on a variety of reasons, with the most obvious one being the amount of exposure that we have to math in our society. 

Often times we always prefer to take the "easiest" way out of a problem. With today's culture, we do not have to use or apply our mathematical skills as much as we would have if we lived in an age where answers to math problems would not be in our hands in a matter of seconds, whether we use a calculator, computer, or smartphone. We rely on technology so much that sometimes we forget that we have minds of our own, despite how harsh sounds. In reality, if one is asked to do a math problem with technology at their hands, simple as calculating the amount of gratuity you owe after eating a meal or complex like those problems found in quantum mechanics, then most people would probably choose to not do the problems by hand or in their head. There are many reasons for this, such as a lack of mathematical knowledge, a method to save time, or pure laziness. 

Another reason I think that we do not emphasize math is because a lot of people do not feel very passionate about the subject. Personally, math and science have not always been my favorite classes, and I find myself much more "eager" to complete assignments for classes I'm very enthusiastic about, such as English or art. This is not to say that I do not enjoy math, but merely a reflection about how I feel about different subjects as a whole. I think this could also be due to the way math is taught overall in educational systems. I do not really know how to explain this thought, but for instance, in other classes, we as students are much more interactive and engaged with "hands on" activities or group activities. I am not aware of what we can do in this regard for math, but I can say that I really enjoyed the "thinking outside of the box" exercises that we did on the first day of class - math should be taught in more creative ways which will let students explore aspects of math that they never knew they liked before.

Friday, August 16, 2013

response to May 2013

TPC
This blog appears to be about new experiences and exploring things that we never knew before while giving a place for expression that time might not exist for in class. It aspires that our class will create some wonderful memories just as the peaches did for Grand Junction. An advantage to these blogs is that they allow us as students with each other and with you to learn more about one another on a more personal level. 

When I read this post, my first thought was about how we should not be afraid to accept suggestions to improve our situations. When Barbara suggested cutting the roses at a certain angle (haha, on a very simplistic level this relates to math because of the mere mention of angles) you were hesitant at first but you learned from what was not working. Indirectly, this speaks to how we as students should not be shy in asking for help in math class or outside of class because there is no harm in it and it actually provides a much greater benefit for everyone involved since we can understand the math that we are learning more deeply and with more confidence. This is definitely something that I plan to work on this year since I'm so shy! Also, we should not be intimidated by math if it is not our strongest subject because there is always room to improve. I think this is the most important message that we should carry away: No one can master a certain skill on their own and by seeking for advice we might discover skill and passion that we would have never imagined.