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If you've ever had to help your child with math homework, you really appreciate their teachers, who do it every day. "Math anxiety" isn't something only kids experience.
Maybe you haven't seen an algebra formula in years, and weren't that comfortable with them when you were a student. Maybe you're a skilled mathematician, but don't know how to explain what you're doing to a child. Whatever the case, math homework can leave parents feeling every bit as frustrated as their children. Homework doesn't have to lead to unpleasantness, though.
What I've learned through my own experience—as a teacher, a researcher, from helping my own children, and now watching my daughter work as an elementary school mathematics teacher—is that communication is (excuse the pun) the common denominator when it comes to making math homework a positive experience.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), where I work, is dedicated to research. We support scientists across the country who study learning and education systems. But we're also teachers at heart. On lunch breaks in the past, a group of us gathered to help our NSF peers with their own questions about how to help their kids learn math.
Do Soylentils have better tips, things that have really helped their own kids learn math?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Saturday May 13 2017, @06:23AM (8 children)
I'm thinking that all they need is to get the entrance exam to high school or possible college right. In the end it's about getting past employers screening or having enough skill to start a business by oneself. All this is just a big sign that the school-job-death treadmill has past the best before date.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @07:20AM
getting past employers screening or having enough skill to start a business by oneself
Bullshit a small number of people and get a job, or start a business and bullshit a large number of people. I see a fucking pattern here and it's BULLSHIT.
the school-job-death treadmill has past the best before date
When all you PRODUCE is BULLSHIT, your civilization is past the best before date.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @09:03AM (6 children)
When I was a kid in school, I truly thought I was going to be valued according to my grades.
Now, that I have passed into retirement, and went through this, I know the grade thing was to teach us to be good subordinate minions, to those who knew how to play the game.
Playing the game has nothing to do with math. Why do all the big Ivy-League schools emphasize their sports teams so much? That is where one learns to "play the game".
Minions do math.
Good grades are only an indicator to the Player who is going to take subordination well.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @09:54AM (5 children)
You are an idiot, trying to externalize your lack of success.
Schools emphasize sports because that is the main source of alumni support. Everyone knows that.
Generalized qualitative analysis scales, like grades, are admittedly superficial but necessary standards.
Let me guess: you're an artist.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @11:29AM (1 child)
Very perceptive! You are right! The word "artist" comes about as close as can be to describing me.
You may consider me an idiot, however I was just trying to discourage any beliefs that excellence in math was required for career success.
The most successful people I have known were not necessarily academic.
They knew how to play the game.
I did not. I did things the hard way. Maybe the word "idiot" is appropriate.
I am happy we can post AC here, just so we can be brutally honest.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @11:45AM
"Well, you're a good man, lieutenant. A good man always knows his limitations."
~ Inspector Callaghan
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @05:37PM (2 children)
You are an idiot, trying to externalize your lack of success.
Haha! Your inferiority complex and jealousy is bare naked on display! Straight A student here, 99% percentile on standardized tests, etc etc, who agrees with GP. Guess I'll need to fish out the login and correct GP's -1.
I wasted so much energy earning those straight As, and they were meaningless. I should have been learning about how to bullshit, as another AC noted, and working on trying to become a sociopath instead of wasting my time and energy on "accomplishments" that had absolutely NO value. None. Zip. Zero. Nana.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 13 2017, @05:40PM
99th percentile
Whoops! I guess an IQ of 160, which is probably average if not a bit low on this site, is no defense against not having had one's morning tea yet!
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday May 14 2017, @10:21AM
Was that straight As in elementary, high school or university? and what major subject?
I'll guess it matters if you straight A major in say physics or English literature.
Grades are usually only good to impress employees (bypass HR) or get a pass to the next academic level.