ARTICLE: Helping Students to Develop an Appreciation for Math

[Ryan Goble]

From Edutopia...

The truth is they don’t hate math, they hate struggling and not succeeding in math. From all outward appearances they like all of the functions of math. My students love the technology that math has afforded them. They have plans to go off into the world and do great things. Many of them are already applying math to their real world problems. Most of my students are working, driving to school, and calculating the cost of college. My brain has struggled to understand how students could be so steadfast in their hatred for a tool that could help them navigate the chaos of life.

Math always came easily to me, not just the numbers, but understanding the value of being able to use a formula. I used the formulas and sequencing theories I learned in algebra and applied the same concepts to my foreign language classes. I could also see the relationship between English class and Math class. Essay writing was as easy as a plug and chug equation: Introduction + Body + Conclusion = Assignment Completed; increase the values for the first three variables and the grade value increased, as well.

I felt and still feel a bit of comfort by rules that produce the same outcomes every time I apply them. However, the conversation I am having with my student today brings to mind the quote attributed to physicist Albert Einstein, “Insanity: is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If I find the results disappointing it is time to change my influencing variables.

Read the full article HERE.