Calculus they won't teach you [video]
youtube.com
Calculus they won't teach you [video]
1–10 of 124 posts
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#2literally what they taught me
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#3literally what they taught me
Heh, ditto. I don't think I got any new info that I didn't get in high school calculus, but it is a well done review of things I hadn't seen in a couple of decades
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#4Great video but there was no need for that clickbaity title.
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#5I.e. mathematical history.
I think one power of calculus (and everything else) is that you don't need the history. The same way I don't need the history of the hammer to use a nail. What drives my interest is the examples. At the end, the book author talks about students not paying attention until the teacher starts talking about examples. To me, that suggests you should first contextualize and create a need for the tool, then describe the tool. Not to start introducing names of dead people, no matter how great they were. (At least where I grew up, this will always devolve into the curriculum requiring you to know those names and dates, draining focus from what actually matters.)
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#6I.e. mathematical history. I think one power of calculus (and everything else) is that you don't need the history. The same way I don't need the history of the hammer to use a nail. What drives my interest is the examples. At the end, the book author talks about students not paying attention until the teacher starts talking about examples. To me, that suggests you should first contextualize and create a need for the…
The comparison between a hammer and math doesn't make sense, math is much more than a tool. Personally, I'm able to learn best when I understand the context and the "why" questions that people had which led them to the answer. I know other people learn differently so to each its own. Also, I agree with you in that the traditionally-taught history is awful because it lacks relevance. It's now about "how is this useful for me" or even "why should I care" but rather "why did they decide to act that way?"
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#7I.e. mathematical history. I think one power of calculus (and everything else) is that you don't need the history. The same way I don't need the history of the hammer to use a nail. What drives my interest is the examples. At the end, the book author talks about students not paying attention until the teacher starts talking about examples. To me, that suggests you should first contextualize and create a need for the…
The comparison between a hammer and math doesn't make sense, math is much more than a tool. Personally, I'm able to learn best when I understand the context and the "why" questions that people had which led them to the answer. I know other people learn differently so to each its own. Also, I agree with you in that the traditionally-taught history is awful because it lacks relevance. It's now about "how is this useful…
[deleted]
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#8literally what they taught me
Heh, ditto. I don't think I got any new info that I didn't get in high school calculus, but it is a well done review of things I hadn't seen in a couple of decades
Another possibility is that mathematics education has gotten worse since you were in high school.
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#9I.e. mathematical history. I think one power of calculus (and everything else) is that you don't need the history. The same way I don't need the history of the hammer to use a nail. What drives my interest is the examples. At the end, the book author talks about students not paying attention until the teacher starts talking about examples. To me, that suggests you should first contextualize and create a need for the…
Look up Lockhart's lament, if you haven't heard of it
Re: Calculus they won't teach you [video]
#10I.e. mathematical history. I think one power of calculus (and everything else) is that you don't need the history. The same way I don't need the history of the hammer to use a nail. What drives my interest is the examples. At the end, the book author talks about students not paying attention until the teacher starts talking about examples. To me, that suggests you should first contextualize and create a need for the…
The comparison between a hammer and math doesn't make sense, math is much more than a tool. Personally, I'm able to learn best when I understand the context and the "why" questions that people had which led them to the answer. I know other people learn differently so to each its own. Also, I agree with you in that the traditionally-taught history is awful because it lacks relevance. It's now about "how is this useful…
I think the dual role of means (tool) and end in itself is part of the reason mathematics is so difficult to motivate. There is this constant tension within the pedagogy between the desires to teach the beauty and the practicality of mathematics.
From what I’ve seen, the beauty side tends to come from mathematics teachers and professors who have developed a passion for the subject and genuinely want to share that passion with their students. The practicality side, on the other hand, seems to be driven by industry, administrators, lawmakers, parents, and others involved in the curriculum-setting process.
Ultimately, both sides struggle mightily for students’ attention and a typical result is a collective sigh from the class. If were to make any progress I think we need to recognize that student motivation comes from within. Some students are genuinely attracted to the beauty of mathematics while others are interested in different subjects (science and engineering) for which mathematics is only a prerequisite. Perhaps one approach for dealing with this disparity might be to offer students a choice of projects with differing mathematical styles (proof vs calculation).