Category: why learn math

July 31, 2007

Math Doesn’t Suck

Filed under: Math Mojo, Nostalgia, math education, why learn math — Brian @ 11:17 pm

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Actress Danica McKellar is probably best known for playing the part of Winnie, “the girlfriend” on “The Wonder Years” in the eighties. It was a brilliant show, and now she has written what promises to be a brilliant book. With the subtitle, “How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail,” Ms. McKellar offers help and advice that most girls need. Most boys need it as well, but she is targeting her group well, because, well … duh.

Math shouldn’t have to be a gender issue, but unfortunately society has generally foisted the stupid myth on us that “girls can’t do math.” Modern society has foisted the dumber myth on us that “if you are smart, you can’t be cool.”

Let’s examine that second one for a minute. If you are smart, it’s probably true that there is window of time in your adolescent life during which most of your friends will pretend that it’s uncool to be smart.

Why do they do that? Because they are secure, mature, and successful at the things they are going to need and want in life?

Naaaaah. It’s because their hormones are playing ping-pong with their gonads.

That will last a few more years, and then they’ll end up as fratboy and sororitygirl drunks. Now there’s a goal to shoot for.

Respect your future. Respect your mind. This book seems to have some insights on how to do that without becoming a total boring geek. Imagine that!

I’ve created a new squidoo lens about it at: http://squidoo.com/mathdoesntsuck
Check it out.

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June 8, 2007

Algebra - What is it good for? - Absolutely nothing(?)

Filed under: Math Mojo, algebra, math education, why learn math — Brian @ 7:42 am

For those who are not aware of it, you can get daily e-mails updates to online articles, web-pages, blog posts etc., that have been recently posted, about any subjects you like, through google alerts.

I get alerts on topics like “homeschool math” and “basic math.” The second of those two alerted me to a great blog post at Joie de vivre - Algebra. Her motto is “Stories only happen to the people who can tell them.” Manifique!

Her post was about math ed and algebra, their relevance, and how they’re pretty well murdered in public schools.

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