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Chainfire

(17,531 posts)

7. By the time of the end Algebra II

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Sep 28, 2020, 11:45 AM

Sep 2020

I completely tuned out because my teachers could not tell me how this knowledge would be used in my life. As it turns out, the answer was simple, I have never used more than the most basic algebra. What did turn out to be useful was being forced to take typing and bookkeeping. Since the rise of computers I have been very happy to be able to touch type. A basic knowledge of double entry bookkeeping helped me a lot when I owned my own business.

I have a nephew who went the math route, through a PhD and post grad research, and lives an excellent and fulfilling life in highly specialized engineering, but he is the exception, not the rule.

It seems to me that today we should substitute History and Civics for most higher math classes.

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26 replies

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Highlight:

Is it time to kill calculus? [View all] marmar Sep 2020 OP

My son would say yes! Dream Girl Sep 2020 #1

Sounds like someone who didn't do well in high school math classes Zorro Sep 2020 #2

I gotta admit Cirque du So-What Sep 2020 #3

That's idiocy. Complete lunacy. How does that make any sense in our technological world? lagomorph777 Sep 2020 #4

AGREED!! HelpImSurrounded Sep 2020 #9

I'd be satisfied if they learned (actually learned) algebra and geometry, frankly hlthe2b Sep 2020 #5

No, it's time to teach it earlier! PirateRo Sep 2020 #6

* E10 HelpImSurrounded Sep 2020 #8

+∞ Midnightwalk Sep 2020 #14

By the time of the end Algebra II Chainfire Sep 2020 #7

My students demand certainty. Igel Sep 2020 #24

As if we haven't dumbed down the curriculum enough. HelpImSurrounded Sep 2020 #10

+1 And why we have Trump supporters. CaptainTruth Sep 2020 #20

I did OK with math up to and including trigonometry. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 2020 #11

A lot of the article is actually asking a different question. Jim__ Sep 2020 #12

I find teaching data analysis to be a rough task. Igel Sep 2020 #25

Fascinating. My HS Junior granddaughter is taking pre-calc/statistics. Seemed odd to me. hedda_foil Sep 2020 #13

No. Some IT programming believe it or not, do rely on some pretty complicated formulas and such, SWBTATTReg Sep 2020 #15

The answer is more and better Midnightwalk Sep 2020 #16

I agree the teacher makes a difference. malthaussen Sep 2020 #19

Sure genxlib Sep 2020 #17

I am a mathematician...I've been wondering about this too. Lucky Luciano Sep 2020 #18

We might be able to learn something from Europe on this. CaptainTruth Sep 2020 #21

We're all Puritans. Igel Sep 2020 #26

Yeah, and the alphabet, the periodic table, thermodyamics, NNadir Sep 2020 #22

actually the concept of n representing an unknown # is taught in elementary school these days msongs Sep 2020 #23