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/sci/ - Science & Math

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3903464 No.3903464 [Reply] [Original]

Here's a question that I have had for a while.

What approach to learning math is the best for high school students? Do you like the Saxon method, Singapore method, the integrated mathematics method used everywhere except in America pretty much, or the American method of focusing on Algebra exclusively for a course, then geometry, then trig, etc?

Better still, rank them from best to worst in your opinion.

>> No.3903475

>>3903464
I'm entering 4th year university math classes at the moment, so I'm no expert. I can however say that it's really hard to just dive into something even as easy as differential equations or several variable calc without some knowledge of linear algebra, etc etc. The classes really feed on eachother, and an integrated approach feels like it would have been superior - the only thing that stops us from doing it in America, I feel, is the devaluation of math in upper education in general. Yes, everybody says they want math and that it's a valuable skill, but a lot of universities cater their math departments to the needs of other majors.

>> No.3903483

>method method method method...
wtf am I reading

http://www.maa.org/devlin/LockhartsLament.pdf

bye

>> No.3903496

>Better still, rank them from best to worst in your opinion.
why ask for opinions when you can just look up statistics

>> No.3903511

>>3903483

0/10

>http://www.maa.org/devlin/LockhartsLament.pdf

I've read that already. It doesn't apply here. If one wants to learn something, one has to do it in some fashion.

But thanks for the bump.

>> No.3903526

>>3903496

Because like anything else where there is money to be made, a cottage industry has cropped up to promote the various methods, all citing statistics and testimonials to make it seem irrational to buy or use any method other than the one being promoted at the moment.

>> No.3903527

I would say integrated but i'm biased due to learning most of my education with it, it just feels most natural to me.

>> No.3903586

Looking back on my math education in the US I realize it was unnecessarily disjointed and not set up very logically.

>> No.3903596

>>3903586

How so?

>> No.3903644

>>3903596
For instance there is no need for a hierarchy of algebra -> trigonometry -> calculus. Not only is the ordering arbitrary, but easy to understand concepts get delayed and gain a reputation of being much harder than it actually is.

>> No.3903752

>>3903644

It's not arbitrary, it's chronological. Here in America, were all about culture and history.

>> No.3903790

These are all very interesting if you haven't watched them:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/arthur_benjamin_s_formula_for_changing_math_education.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers.html

They all make very good points. Unfortunately if you're American it will make you depressed about how shitty our math education is and how much it needs to be restructured

>> No.3903936

>>3903790
I like what Dan Meyer has to say. Math courses put far too much emphasis on solving canned problems before a deadline. Too much of it involves just figuring out what algorithm to use and plugging the numbers in.