Tips How Not To Hate Math Using Technology
Friday, January 13, 2012, 2:00 AM | Leave Comment
Reading into the above statement indicates 40% of the respondents to the survey say they never liked Math, rather they hated it when they were in high school. However, there are many more subjects that we never liked besides Math. But 4 in 10 people hating Math is way too high. That’s twice as many as felt that strongly about any other school subject, reports The Associated Press.
Let’s face it. There are folks who like to be given an answer in plain black and white. 1 plus 1 is always nothing else but 2. The survey shows 40% folks have a hard time accepting that. Well! it’s not as simple as that. Math is more than simple answers.
Any other subject has grayish area where no answer can be outright rejected (or accepted for that matter.) That means any one can have opinion, not necessarily always right or always wrong.
In the same survey, 25% said they loved Math. That percentage is in par with English and History. Science got less than 25%.
Importance of Math
No one can ever deny the importance of Math which, along with science and technology, is critical to research, innovation and economic competitiveness. For a dynamic society like American, these rather needlessly fearful subjects make it vital that students have a solid grounding in them so they can become well-rounded citizens and skilled workers.
But then again, Math and Science are not the only two subjects where American students have shown weakness over the years. The New York Times reports that only about half of high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college. Even fewer are prepared for college-level Math and science, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one of the nation’s leading college admissions tests.
Math includes algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, probability, and statistics, and of course arithmetic.
Shun the Negativity
I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck’s back. If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If you can overcome the negativity, everything becomes easier. —George Foreman
The first step to succeed in learning Math is a positive attitude. There are, of course, some myths about Math that have been engrained in our little gray cells (Agatha Christie) for ages.
- Very high intelligence is needed to be good at math.
- Most folks are bad in Math so it’s Okay if you are.
- Math is used in certain occupations only.
Like I said these are just myths. This is the kind of negativity George Foreman and others have talked about. In order to shun this not-so-positive attitude, with the magic of Internet and other technologies, there are websites that deal with the subject matter of negativity.
Being afraid of Math may not be the core problem. It may be that first and foremost we all have to stop and throw out negativity from our personal life.
Khan Academy
There is one extremely good website that attacks all kinds of Math with simplicity, rigor and just plain audacity without any fear or repercussion. And the website, ladies and gentlemen, is Khan Academy. It may very well be the answer to your prayers. After watching a few videos, you would be surprised how much you had been missing in your academic life. Khan uses technology at its best.
In a Nutshell
Salman Khan explains Math in a very simple and easy to understand manner. I personally have not found another website that explains Math and science subjects in such simple fashion. Give it a try and let that negativity roll off you like water off a duck’s back (George Foreman).
