Speedy education

[HydrogenBond]

I was amazed to see how young students are being taught advanced subjects at a young age. Elementary school kids are doing some algebra, which used to be reserved more for High School and beyond. But as I thought about this, this may not be good for the students in the long term. Impressive looking yes, but long term functional, maybe not.

 

The reason I say this is that after one ends their education, unless they are a scientist, physicists or mathematicians, the odds are one will never use the most advanced aspects of math. The average person will have all that they need to function in culture with just basic arithmitic, geometry and algebra. This allows one to design a patio, estimate the needs of a weeks menu, etc.

 

In the past, these were studied over prolonged time. One can get a PhD in algebra, because the topic is extensive. Instead, the kids are getting a quick taste of the lifetime basics, in then quickly skipping to stuff they will forget after the schooling is over and never use again. The net result will be limited math functionality 5-10 years out of school, unless they go into one of the areas that uses this advanced stuff on a dayly basis.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I'm very happy with the way math has been taught in my school system.

 

Everything builds on the previous subject, and multiple classes are devoted to algebra alone.

I feel that the information is not misleading, and I feel as if I will use all that I learn with my future education and occupations.

 

All in all, I would say that math is not at all taught speedily, and even in the more advanced classes, basics are reviewed to help with the current subject.

 

Just my 2 cents worth. :)

[hallenrm]

Thank you HydrogenBond for starting this thread, I was just thinking to do so!

 

There are, as much as I know, three divergent theories about the utility of education.

 

1. The sole purpose of education is to provide opportunities of growth and remove hampering influences.
   
2. to give culture to the individual and to develop is capabilities to ythe utmost.
   
3. To train useful citizens.
   

 

No actual education proceeds on any of the three theories, but the third purpose of education somehow dominates present education systems.

 

The concerns of producing good citizens has perhaps been relegated to a back seat. So every one seems in a hurry to get ready for a plush job. While a child who can assimilate knowledge faster gains from such a practice, not so gifted child perhaps suffers.

 

As regards to your concerns about the speediness vis a vis the past practices, one can easily argue that the child today is not the child yesterday; its mental capabilities have evolved. Therefore one cannot really criticize the present system just on the basis of the past practices.

 

But, I must add, I think education today is not really satisfactory, why and how? I leave it for my next post.:)

[ronthepon]

I agree, education is not very cleanly being imparted.

 

I suppose teaching algebra at a young age is like trying to make it a instinctual 'language' for the child.

 

However, When I studied the whole thing again (My little brother's books in the holidays) I felt that I would be better off reading it all now.

 

But, if I had not learnt all that then, them how would I be worthy to post on this site now?

[Vagabond -SC2-]

Well my daughter is only 15 months old and I have not been involved in youth education before (other then being a young student, long ago). As for now I see no issue with teaching subjects early if the child can comprehend and understand it. There is so much more information out there today then just 5 years ago. The amount of scientific publications is staggering.

 

I have heard others compare the child's brain to a sponge. In the fact that they can pick up and learn things at a faster rate. Now i do not have a link to that or to this - also heard children learn languages faster then adults.

 

Remember when we all got VCRs and our parents never learned how to operate them. or when computers started coming out and our parents had a hard time learning how to use them.

 

So now my child who is only 15 months already knows that the little box with little stuff on it controls the TV and that those round flat silver things when put in that black box show me the shows i like... Kids now-a-days are not mutated or more intelligent then kids of the past, if may just be that they are exposed to more. (just like I was with Atari console, VCR and the first puters). These things will be part of my daughters life from the beginning and she will learn how to use them from the beginning.

 

Ok i guess I rambled on enough and not sure i even contributed, oh well..

[hallenrm]

The reason I say this is that after one ends their education, unless they are a scientist, physicists or mathematicians, the odds are one will never use the most advanced aspects of math. The average person will have all that they need to function in culture with just basic arithmitic, geometry and algebra. This allows one to design a patio, estimate the needs of a weeks menu, etc.

Well today I shall focus on the above mentioned aspect of education today.

 

There is a vast ocean of knowledge surrounding us, and we can drink only a mouthful in a lifetime. It all depends which part of the ocean we taste at a particular stage of life.

 

People who feel that the knowledge of algebra is foremost essential for the growth of capabilities are perhaps emulaing the ancient Greeks, who believed that without the knowledge of geometry no life can be worthy.

 

Whether the knowledge of Algebra is foremost desirable than any other kind of knowledge is a debatable issue and perhaps a matter of personal opinion of the educationists involved.

 

My personal opinion in this matter is that a child at a very tender age must be taught how to reason not by a strict regimen but through observation. Only when the observation skills are sufficiently developed, the logical reasoning can be really fruitful!!;)

[InfiniteNow]

When I have kid's, I will be reading the Maxwell equations to them in the crib, and the Feyman lectures to them when they are toddlers. ;)

 

We'll save the little pony and dragon stories for adulthood... :hihi:

[hallenrm]

I believe that education today is dominated with a desire to exploit human resources as early as possible!

 

This includes people who want to produce academic scientists or corporates who are succeeding in luring the young with lucrative jobs in the service sector. Education, therefore targets at producing the products desired at the moment as speedily as possible.

 

The real concerns of the real education, have been relegated a back seat. Because no one is really thinking about the consequences of their actions. Thus terrorists organizations catch young recruits that can e brainwashed more easily. Is training of terrorists educating them?.

 

Real education must help to develop the potentials of a homosapien to become human.

 

Do we differ there?

[HydrogenBond]

I singled out algebra as only an example or basic stuff this is functional all through life. The mechanics of reading is very important, which is taught in K through 12 getting fancier with time.

 

Anyone who has gone to college, take an old exam from an area of study not relevant to your current interests. Much of the info will be lost due to lack of use. If we teach students primarily stuff they will use for a lifetime, the data is always fresh, especially if it is progressively rehashed over their education, i.e, reading. If we give them a bunch of stuff of little relevance, or skip quickly around to sample everything, their active mental base becomes less functional over time. In other words, if one learned 10 units of A or 100 units of A and lose 80% of the information after ten years, the first education cause one to end up with 2 units and the second 20 units. These twenty units are the core of A, which, even in their atrophied state, are better than course A at its peak state.

 

The algebra example was intended to show, just because a child spends a few weeks on algebra, doesn't mean it sunk in enough to be functional for the rest of their lives. Yet, it does create the illusion of fast progression. A good analogy, is going hungry to a fancy resturant that serves tiny food on big plates. It may take 10 courses of tiny food to feel full. One can also go next door where their serve big food on lttle plates. The tiny portions are more show then go. The tiny portion makes it taste better because if one ate too much of that rich stuff, it would lose something. The snoot appeal of little portions on big plates can be useful, but it is not the same as a cheese burger that can eaten small or big and still taste as good.

[HydrogenBond]

Math always came easy to me. I was an honorary Mathematician when I was in High School. But I liked chemistry and engineering better in college and stopped at continuum mechanics. Although I did some numerical methods to solve unsolveable equations. But after many years of limted use, my solid foundation of the basics is what has stuck with me.

[Rebiu]

I was amazed to see how young students are being taught advanced subjects at a young age. Elementary school kids are doing some algebra, which used to be reserved more for High School and beyond. But as I thought about this, this may not be good for the students in the long term. Impressive looking yes, but long term functional, maybe not.

I surmise your perspective is that algebra is a complex and difficult subject. Because it is difficult you have been unable to make use of it in you life. This is not the case for those of use who does not find it difficult and can easily apply it to our problems.

 

The reason I say this is that after one ends their education, unless they are a scientist, physicists or mathematicians, the odds are one will never use the most advanced aspects of math. The average person will have all that they need to function in culture with just basic arithmitic, geometry and algebra. This allows one to design a patio, estimate the needs of a weeks menu, etc.

How about comparing different brands of and sizes of items in a grocery store. This is beyond many people capacity and the companies selling the items know it so they often go against intuition by making the larger size proportionally more expensive. I venture that most people will use a computer. To get full functionality out of a computer some level of programming, web page design, scripting of macro development is necessary. A person without a basic mastery of algebra will be unable to do these things. Perhaps you can get away without these skills but today’s children will be left far behind without them. I saw many people drop out of computers science curriculums in college because they did not have the algebra skills.

 

In the past, these were studied over prolonged time. One can get a PhD in algebra, because the topic is extensive. Instead, the kids are getting a quick taste of the lifetime basics, in then quickly skipping to stuff they will forget after the schooling is over and never use again. The net result will be limited math functionality 5-10 years out of school, unless they go into one of the areas that uses this advanced stuff on a dayly basis.

Once again you are assuming you experience is the status quo. I did not forget my algebra and I am certain learning if expanded my mental capacities. Math skills are in very high demand and it will only become more so in the future.