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Math is systematic racism

gbg3 said:
My goodness, me too!!!!!!
But, math is not going to click in all minds. There are some kids (and definitely not all) where math will be a natural. Let them soar in classes with only students with similar math understanding. For the rest, work like crazy to get them to a suitable understanding of basic math so they can adequately function with basic math skills in their lives. BUT, don't try to mix the two groups and DON'T hold back those strong in math because quite a number of students aren't and, frankly, never will be strong in math. Separate the groups!!!!!!
In my very strong opinion, math, more than just about any other subject typically taught to children and teens - will have its haves and have nots, so to speak. It's nearly impossible to get a student who struggles to grasp math (and likely dislikes it as a result) to the level of a student for which math is a natural (and thinks of it as their very favorite subject). Math IS NOT one size fits all, not by a longshot! And, our society desperately (and I mean desperately) needs our math superstars. Give those superstars classes and teachers all their own and don't try to populate those classes with any math challenged students. We simply must have accelerated math classes and they need to be available fairly early.
This topic should have nothing whatsoever to do with race. Kids either have math aptitude or not and it makes no difference at all what color their skin is. One can often see these strong differences in math ability, even with siblings of the same color and with the same parents. I'll repeat again and again and again, math is not one size fits all.
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Kids being not good at math is a failing in teaching. Math is a language that you have to learn if you don't learn it properly you're not going to be good at using it. Hire maths such as algebraic calculus are not necessary for most people so I don't think that should be something that's considered mandatory in high school unless you're going to college route. I'm not talking about higher mats and talking about basic math.

I remember doing my blueprint reading class 50% of that class was learning basic arithmetic fractions is really adults it should have learned this in primary School.
 
eohrnberger said:
Change the way we teach it, yes, but not the 'Common Core' way, I think I'd say.
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Well we should separate kids based on skill level and again this is going to cause the kids on the lower range to feel shame. Let that be a motivator it worked for me. I didn't struggle with math I struggled with reading. I hated the class where we would all have to read out loud it filled me with dreads but that desire not to be laughed at or not to be told how stupid I was made me better at it. Now I can read out loud very well and I've been able to since my freshman year in high school. And I struggled with learning disability.
 
CLAX1911 said:
Well we should separate kids based on skill level and again this is going to cause the kids on the lower range to feel shame. Let that be a motivator it worked for me. I didn't struggle with math I struggled with reading. I hated the class where we would all have to read out loud it filled me with dreads but that desire not to be laughed at or not to be told how stupid I was made me better at it. Now I can read out loud very well and I've been able to since my freshman year in high school. And I struggled with learning disability.
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Sometimes it just simply takes time.
In Jr. high and high school I was simply unable to comprehend algebra. First year in college the same thing.
By my 3rd year I started re-taking the algebra classes to replace the previous poor grades with hopefully a better grades.
By that time algebra 'clicked' and I got it. Aced all those classes and bumped up my GPA quite a bit.
Sometimes it just takes some time and some maturity to master something like that, I guess.

All that being said, mockery and derision by peers, and possibly by other adults, motivates some, but I wonder how many?
It would seem to me that the best goal would be the continued motivation of as many as possible, wouldn't it?
 
eohrnberger said:
Sometimes it just simply takes time.
In Jr. high and high school I was simply unable to comprehend algebra. First year in college the same thing.
By my 3rd year I started re-taking the algebra classes to replace the previous poor grades with hopefully a better grades.
By that time algebra 'clicked' and I got it. Aced all those classes and bumped up my GPA quite a bit.
Sometimes it just takes some time and some maturity to master something like that, I guess.

All that being said, mockery and derision by peers, and possibly by other adults, motivates some, but I wonder how many?
It would seem to me that the best goal would be the continued motivation of as many as possible, wouldn't it?
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YES!
 
eohrnberger said:
Sometimes it just simply takes time.
In Jr. high and high school I was simply unable to comprehend algebra. First year in college the same thing.
By my 3rd year I started re-taking the algebra classes to replace the previous poor grades with hopefully a better grades.
By that time algebra 'clicked' and I got it. Aced all those classes and bumped up my GPA quite a bit.
Sometimes it just takes some time and some maturity to master something like that, I guess.

All that being said, mockery and derision by peers, and possibly by other adults, motivates some, but I wonder how many?
It would seem to me that the best goal would be the continued motivation of as many as possible, wouldn't it?
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Well the Mockery thing from other students is what it is and it's going to happen there's nothing you can do about it. What people need to learn is how to not let it control them and that's a teaching issue. Students need to learn how to beat this.
 
CLAX1911 said:
Well the Mockery thing from other students is what it is and it's going to happen there's nothing you can do about it. What people need to learn is how to not let it control them and that's a teaching issue. Students need to learn how to beat this.
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Quite true. I know that I'm a stronger individual for have gone through exactly what you've described.
 
eohrnberger said:
Quite true. I know that I'm a stronger individual for have gone through exactly what you've described.
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The only thing we really need to teach is how to be stronger from that rather than how to break over it.

I don't know why people want to promote fragility and angst.
I have my theory
 
CLAX1911 said:
The only thing we really need to teach is how to be stronger from that rather than how to break over it.

I don't know why people want to promote fragility and angst.
I have my theory
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I agree. Strong individuals make for a stronger country. That's for sure.
But doesn't play well in a society of 'participation trophies' and 'woke' reinforced victimhood , now, does it?
 
eohrnberger said:
I agree. Strong individuals make for a stronger country. That's for sure.
But doesn't play well in a society of 'participation trophies' and 'woke' reinforced victimhood , now, does it?
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It is the only salve that will heal us.
 
I must be a victim of racism then, because I am flummoxed by most math above the basic algebra level.
If it wasn't for sucking at math I'd be a pretty well paid electronics engineer.
 
Checkerboard Strangler said:
I must be a victim of racism then, because I am flummoxed by most math above the basic algebra level.
If it wasn't for sucking at math I'd be a pretty well paid electronics engineer.
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From what I can gather having tutored math students when I was in college most people struggle with procedure particularly with algebra because you have to do everything right I learned some trigonometry I never learned to calculus I haven't needed it yet.
 
CLAX1911 said:
From what I can gather having tutored math students when I was in college most people struggle with procedure particularly with algebra because you have to do everything right I learned some trigonometry I never learned to calculus I haven't needed it yet.
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English is a struggle for some, as well…
 
Rexedgar said:
English is a struggle for some, as well…
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I struggled with reading and writing in dyslexic, genuinely not just bad at spelling. I think part of my issue with reading was that I was forced to read things I thought we awful. I didn't care much for fiction and that was all teachers wanted us to read.
 
Bear5131 said:
So you don't know anything Finland invented either?
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Who friggin cares. What a stupid approach to the issue.
Finland is a frontrunner in information technology. They also have a population less than some American cities. If you think pointing to American inventiveness generations ago can trump the fact that Finnish students outperform American students in every category you're deluding yourself.
 
the great thing about dumbing down the nation is we end up like we are
 
Indydave said:
the great thing about dumbing down the nation is we end up like we are
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Don't you wish that the liberal / progressive / Democrat political machine, and their non-critical thinking minions would just stop that?
 
Grand Mal said:
Who friggin cares. What a stupid approach to the issue.
Finland is a frontrunner in information technology. They also have a population less than some American cities. If you think pointing to American inventiveness generations ago can trump the fact that Finnish students outperform American students in every category you're deluding yourself.
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What the heck is information technology?

And again if Finland is so smart what have they contributed to humanity
 
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