Epicmafia

Math Education

over 8 years

greetings epicmafia community,

i think we need a good discussion on math education in the US

it is evident that children in the United States are not prepared to understand the fundamental nature of reality in the universe, and this is a problem needed to be solved. Aristotle distinguished us from animals as having the nous, the immortal and ration side of us that allows us to describe reality. So by not taking advantage of our ability to make complex computations, we are no better than the soulless, one-soul, and two-soul creatures.

So why, in the US, is it only required to learn elementary Algebra and the very basics of informal Geometry and Logic?

I'm going to be honest. I could learn the whole "grade K-8 math curriculum" in a matter of days! So many wasted years on "how to count to a million" and "how to find a range of a set of data". Here is my proposal for a new and innovative math curriculum that requires all American students to take and pass or else they don't graduate:

Grades K-5: Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra

Grade 6: Elementary Algebra (from quadratics to logarithms to rational functions)

Grade 7: Informal Geometry, Formal Logic, and Intro to Statistics (prepositional and predicate calculus, inductive reasoning, z-scores, probability with binomial and geometric distributions)

Grade 8: Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus (vectors, matricies, polar / parametric function, limits)

Grade 9: AP Calculus BC AND AP Statistics (students must take two courses this year)

Grade 10: Multivariable Calculus

Grade 11: Linear Algebra & Differential Equations

Grade 12: Real Analysis

Now, of course, this is only the traditional pace. Accelerated students would be taking these classes about two grades earlier and have room on their schedule for other mathematics courses that ALL public schools should offer, including (but not limited to): Complex Variables, Abstract Algebra, Topology, Manifolds, Fourier Analysis, Probability (random variables, probability spaces, distribution functions, Bayes theorem, Chebyshev inequality), Discrete Applied Mathematics, Continuum Applied Mathematics, Commutative Algebra, Noncommutative Algebra, Differential Geometry, Algebraic Geometry, Lie Groups, and Number Theory.

We could make our country a better place by increase the rigor of math in school! But it's not about me; it's about you. Tell me what you think in the poll and the comments below. Stay frosty!

What do you think?

...

I wish I was born when these ideas are impremented

Needs some slight improvement (see my comment)

ObitoSigma for president!

ObitoSigma

over 8 years

Tree says

If two courses would be taught freshman year then one subject would have to be removed, which one would you suggest?

Typically an elective. But I personally think schools are offering too many English classes. What more is there to learn besides rhetoric skills and literature? Two years of High School English is all you need in life. Maybe if you're enthusiastic, you could take another course such as American Literature, British Literature, or World Literature.

Much like how the only politics the average American High School student could need is American politics and comparative politics (Soviet Russia, China, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Mexico, etc.) which could be done in one year-long course. The only Economics one needs is Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (which should be one year combined) unless you want to go deep into Game Theory, Market Design, Econometrics, or some business course. As for history, a course in World History, American History, European History, and Art History is all one needs to understands the change of culture and events using a historical context.

But really, instead of a third English course, anyone would be better off by taking a Linguistics, Philosophy, Foreign Language, History, Politics, Economics, Physics, or Mathematics course (such as one of the two listed freshman courses).

Tree

over 8 years

If two courses would be taught freshman year then one subject would have to be removed, which one would you suggest?

deletedover 8 years

"Teachers want to teach us the life skills to grow, if they really want us to do this then teach us how to drive motherf*ckers, teach us how to put together furniture,teach us how to balance a household budget,teach me to book a holiday in Spain, teach us about credit cards, teach us some public speaking, some computer , teach us how to read and write, some basic maths maybe a foreign language. Job Done. it shouldn't take 14 f*cking years" - Pyrion Flax 2015

ObitoSigma

over 8 years

TepLep says

>not learning differential calculus from k-5

its like ur not even tryin smh

I thought about it and would have liked to learn applications of related rates and optimization as an Elementary Schooler; however, you can't make it a requirement for all American students. You have to think about the people who have a hard time to understand math and wouldn't have the maturity to tackle such intermediate topics until their mid-teens. By the time the average American is 13 or 14, they should have the abilities to take on single-variable Calculus. Maybe after, they could take a proof-based variant. That would have been a High School elective I would have admired!

SirAmelio

over 8 years

tl;dr

but when i was in america, high school senior year, took algebra 2 (which was apparently a junior class instead of a senior class, but doesn't matter) and the contents were literally things you learn in 7th grade in argentina.

TepLep

over 8 years

>not learning differential calculus from k-5

its like ur not even tryin smh

henryleelucas

over 8 years

' ObitoSigma for president! ' is the most marginal option I've ever seen.

hug

over 8 years

being good at maths is probably highly correlated with being a miserable failure at life

well, at least i definitely help that correlation

Reamix

over 8 years

Terry is now feeding his thread ideas through other users bc being a mod and making bad threads cannot go hand in hand... (jokes)

Anyway. I think the whole idea of it is that you don't want to bombard kids with strictly a higher rigor on math. That can be incredibly stressful. Especially when required to take all and pass all? There are more fields of study that don't include any kind of math or that could include just a basic study of math. It's the reason why we are taught in (about) middle school to start thinking about future career choices.. so you can understand the things you like and the things you don't. I won't argue teaching harder math at a younger age because it could definitely open up complex thought a bit more... but keeping the trend up until high school graduation sort of feels like a mandated curriculum to try and condition kids to choose a career path that involves math, since it is all they are truly challenged in.

Then again... I'm terrible at math... always have been.

Also I don't know about math curriculums outside of the U.S.

Also way too lazy to look that up and see the benefits, but this is how I see this anyway.

deletedover 8 years

someone please

deletedover 8 years

obito help me

Psy

over 8 years

this is probably the worst education system suggestion i've ever seen tbh lol

deletedover 8 years

help i need foxie to teach me

deletedover 8 years

unsure what pythagorus was trying to communicate to me

deletedover 8 years

i dont know how to read im not sure what im saying all i can do is count

deletedover 8 years

whats a linear equation ? ?????????????????????????????????????????????

deletedover 8 years

i love being smart! and creating art :)

deletedover 8 years

im literally not graduating community college cuz i refuse 2 take a math class but that doesnt stop me from studying & understanding theoretic quantum physics in my own time! :) #richardfeynman

ObitoSigma

over 8 years

Bump!