Learning Maths: why is so hard?
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Transcript of Learning Maths: why is so hard?
Why Maths are so hated?
Math language● Traditional method for learn Math● Very abstract!
Maybe we start badly● “Children who are
drilled in rote arithmetic are learning skills far removed from those that enrich mathematical intuition” , http://newsoffice.mit.edu/1999/math-0512
Math not always are exact● "Down the road,
educators may look harder at the importance of developing children's number sense": ability to determine a ballpark answer rather than a specific answer, the “number sense” http://newsoffice.mit.edu/1999/math-0512
Visual learning● Three main types of learning styles: visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic● Visual learners prefer to learn from whole-
to-part, also really need to understand why they are learning something: motivation!
Be visual: what about Geometry for start?
Motivation
A friend, 27 years old: “I never have used the Maths learned in the school in real life”
Me: Well, Maths
are surrounding
us, really!
Using imagination, and getting fun
Donald in Mathmagic Land: an old comic for children … and also not so young people
Donald learn Maths are everywhere...
Maths everywhere
Maths everywhere: Architecture
Maths everywhere: design
Maths everywhere: mechanisms, machines
Maths everywhere: computers
Maths everywhere: Nature
Maths everywhere: Laws of Universe
● Universe behaves mathematically, nobody knows why ...
So, why algebraic language is important?
● For exact solution of problems
● For exact representation of the Nature's laws
Equations contains lot of exact information
But … so exactitude, is always needed?
● Perhaps we can let it for adult people who really need it
● Children don't need exact numbers
So, two approaches● Visual, imaginative approach:
better for start our Math learning
● Algebraic, numerical, exact approach: later, when mind is able to work with abstract concepts
How we can become proficient on Math
language?● Like in a
game, there are rules … lot of rules, we need know them for be able to play
All is about rules and definitions
● +·+ = + +·- = -, -·+ = -, -·- = +● a·(b + c) = a·b + a·c● (a + b) / c = a/c + b/c● a·a = a², a·a·a = a³, …● And so on ...
Constructing the Math Building, step by step
Arithmetic basic rules
Arithmetic advanced rules
Basic Algebra
Arithmetic advanced rules
Math Functions
Math in real life
Math Research
What about modern advanced calculators?● No need to learn all the rules, we
can concentrate in higher concepts
Problems resolution
● From real world we create a Math representation
● Then, we apply the rules and definitions
● We obtain an exact solution
Why Maths are so complicated?
● Not Maths per se, but Nature is complicated
Share the knowledge!● All the images of this
presentation was downloaded from www.flickr.com
● The ideas about Math learning has succesfully been applied by the author