Do the math: too much calculus? (2012)

Re:Do the math: too much calculus? (2012) by Yhippa on Wednesday October 19, 2016 @02:52PM (#12746591)

> Too many students experience a secondary-school calculus course that drills on the techniques and procedure that will enable them to successfully answer standard problems but are never challenged to encounter and understand the conceptual foundations of calculus,” he said.

As I get older I've realized that I learn better when I understand the concepts about things. I then get excited to apply what I've learned into practice.

I think that if I learned about "why calculus", what problems did it solved at the time it came around, and how we use it in practice I would have been able to grok it quicker and deeper. I didn't end up getting above a 3 on the AP calculus exam.

I did however get a 5 on the US government exam. I had a teacher who did a great job throughout the course having us work out essays and testing arguments in class to help solidify our knowledge as opposed to memorizing facts.

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Re:Do the math: too much calculus? (2012) by hood_syntax on Wednesday October 19, 2016 @03:26PM (#12746911)

Conceptual background is so important for understanding something. I was lucky to have a great teacher for BC calc, and I got an easy 5 on the exam. The concepts make sense, they are consistent, and they build on each other, so with the right progression of ideas students can get a lot farther than they would otherwise.

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