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Teaching Math to Kids
March 19, 2008 | |
I am really wondering why today’s Computer Science students fear Mathematics when Mathematics is the basis of Computer Science! Careful but informal investigations reveal the problem goes way back to secondary and even primary education. Unfortunately, this is not unique to the Philippines as attested by the video above - even in the US, the textbooks they are using are inferior to the ones used 10, 20, 30 or more years ago!
I have failed freshmen Computer Science students who cannot think logically. I am hoping that my other colleagues are doing the same thing. I was forced to teach freshmen two years ago after getting fed up with the skills of the students when they reach their junior or senior years, when they take my classes. What compounds my frustrations is when I hear these same kids having problems with their College Algebra and Trigonometry classes!!! If you cannot hurdle your first Math course, then I believe that you should not be in Computer Science! In fairness, though, there are Math teachers who fare poorly (read: do not know how to teach) as well - yes, even in UP Diliman! 
So, I am wondering how we are teaching our primary kids. What textbooks are their teachers using? Are the textbooks reliable?
Comments
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Rom,
I am a graduate student in education. I am also an assistant professor teaching computer technology courses. I feel your pain.
I don’t think we can blame this entirely on the textbooks. Although I have spent a fair amount of time in the Philippines, I was not in the business of education at the time, so I didn’t familiarize myself with the country’s education system.
From the sound of it, there as in the US, kids come to college unprepared in mathematics. I think there are a number of reasons why this happens.
1 - Teachers who enter careers in primary education are afraid of math themselves.
2 - People who enjoy math do not identify with math-phobics and do not easily connect with students who do not share this love.
3- Industry provides much more lucrative careers for math people than does education.
I believe I was a poor math student because I was afraid, and because my primary teachers were also afraid of math. I experienced my turnaround in mathematics when I attended junior college after I left the service.
I believe that my real-world experiences with mathematics as a Navy firecontrolman whetted my appetite for learning about math & physics. I believe that for math teachers to be successful with their students, they need to present the subject in ways that are relevant and significant. I didn’t learn math until this need was met.
Bill Gx (http://billgx.edublogs.org)
PS - How are things in the Pearl of the Orient? I haven’t been there since before Pinatubo blew her top.