Re:Marvin Minsky: What makes mathematics hard to learn? (2008)
by qb45 on Tuesday January 26, 2016 @07:08AM
(#10973000)
> I had to remember loads of different formulas, trigonometric values for common angles etc
Real math is about being able to derive this stuff when woken up at 5AM.
What you get in school is drilling kids to appear as if they understood math so that adults who don't remember this stuff anymore feel intimidated and leave with impression that their children are learning some rocket science and the "education system" deserves their money.
No teacher literally reasons like that and no one will tell you that, but that's exactly what they do when they are overwhelmed by a horde of barely interested kids who somehow have to pass the final exams. The other part of this insanity being politicians who set up those exams.
Real math is about being able to derive this stuff when woken up at 5AM.
What you get in school is drilling kids to appear as if they understood math so that adults who don't remember this stuff anymore feel intimidated and leave with impression that their children are learning some rocket science and the "education system" deserves their money.
No teacher literally reasons like that and no one will tell you that, but that's exactly what they do when they are overwhelmed by a horde of barely interested kids who somehow have to pass the final exams. The other part of this insanity being politicians who set up those exams.