Comments on: Finding Unity in the Math Wars https://betterexplained.com/articles/finding-unity-in-the-math-wars/ Math lessons that click Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:04:14 +0000 hourly 1 By: John C. Brewer https://betterexplained.com/articles/finding-unity-in-the-math-wars/#comment-336300 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:04:14 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/?p=2450#comment-336300 I’ve been married to a (very good) chemistry and physics teacher for > 30 years and if there is anything I have learned from her in that time it is that it ain’t about the students. It isn’t about the schools. It isn’t even about the teachers. It’s about the political clout of the teachers unions. :-(

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By: Eewww https://betterexplained.com/articles/finding-unity-in-the-math-wars/#comment-336267 Sat, 16 Dec 2017 19:13:39 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/?p=2450#comment-336267 Just…. holy fuck. You finally made what the fuck some advanced maths were about ‘click’ for me. I never pictured it ‘got’ the point or usefulness of any of them (outside of for… yep targeting/velocities/movement(which occurs ‘naturally’ in my brain with no need for me do consciously ‘calculate’)in space (including buildings seeming to sit stationary but actually move around…a ton! Hah). Exponentials came naturally (I never and continue to never think lineraly though I do actively choose to do so when assessing immediate action-consequences instead of parallel or lateral action-consequence chains). But formal math what they were trying to say or do never made sense/clicked(‘why would you do this?’ Just let your brain do it naturally and stop wasting resources on concious surface calculating.’ I realize now of course I’ve not met other creatures whom are aware of and have brains that work like mine yet). Algebra did when someone explained it is like mixing a drink recipie or playing poker (put it in the frame of ‘natural’ activities (I passively ‘count cards’ manipulate rngs, which are anything but, etc), the drink recipe being especially helpful to unlocking my ability to cook and mix!).

But this and the cartooning article finally made things click, with what on mathematicians were trying to do ( I held much contempt for the profession, in the way many do for ‘fanfic’ writers or ‘religion’ or other self wanking amongst each other over imaginary things activities) all these years….

Charicturing and rotating problems in space… the later occurring easier than turning it IRL with geometry or 4dimensional ‘things’ making those subjects FUN, but not once till now making sense outside of geometric/shapes in space stuff.

I’ve personally always pursued my own learning on my own being disappointed or frustrated with how incorrect teachers had always been (always having to correct them in class, being told I was wrong or mistaken when I clearly knew otherwise I never tolerated as a child.) being punished for correcting them especially making me dislike the system. I did eventually encounter that single teacher in algebra in college.

But this article makes my feelings about mathematics, the field, and the profession and those whom choose to spend their resources indulging in it change to a much healthier feeling.

Still though it’s interesting a field about explaining and equating stuff… failed to do so about itself or what/why it was doing it for 32 years hahah. Yet I feel sympathy for mathematics now as I too fail to ever explain anything in away anyone else can understand too. Gives me a shred of hope I might one day ‘ah ha’ how to do so to others (think of how Me to Math as explained in all the above is to Everyone to Me), or at least run accross an interpreter such as yourself ;3

Whoops thought I wrote about khan but unconsciously chopped that whole section out, short version: I feel it’s good for those who learn for themselves or just for the sake of learning, but having it formalized is a no go, but perhaps REALLY useful say for someone roadblocksd but learns in that dry acedemic, but no financial resources to spare for it. (Bad for me since apparently the teacher does matter for a nonharmful experience, but great for someone who loves that teaching style/effective on).

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By: Abhishek Sachan https://betterexplained.com/articles/finding-unity-in-the-math-wars/#comment-333667 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 13:06:40 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/?p=2450#comment-333667 I love your concept which encourages learners to explore “what things really are?”. This thought can bring a revolution in the way most learners take ‘education’. Most of the learners get it wrong that the ‘dry knowledge’ (more clearly ‘dry facts’) taught in schools is what things really are. Learners are even discouraged to experience it their own way. This haunts me the most. We need to remind the world that subjects are just the systems that we have agreed upon to communicate the knowledge, that one hasn’t learnt something until he feels it intuitively (i.e. has an aha moment!).

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By: Skanda Prasad https://betterexplained.com/articles/finding-unity-in-the-math-wars/#comment-331938 Sat, 14 Nov 2015 03:48:49 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/?p=2450#comment-331938 Don’t get it why there’s a war b/w KA and BE.
Articles here are too good… but people who want to learn all the way from basics can surf KA.
There can’t be a comparison b/w 2 sites whose approach are completely different.
For comparing, comparison can be done with Brilliant.org. Where a lot of higher math is going on (with articles) and community posted questions

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