Do You Like or Dislike Algebra? Why and Why not?

by Scott77 76 Replies latest social current

• 

  binadub

  I did not like it. I always thought there was an easier way to solve the problems.

  The last time I took algebra, it was offered as a math review opportunity at the high-tech company where I was working. In that class, as an aside, the instructor explained that people who are good at algebra are generally not as good at an abstract reasoning math, which the following is one example:

  There are 100 attorneys. Therein:
  Premisis 1: There is at least one and less than 100 honest attorneys.
  Premisis 2: Any two attorneys, at least one is dishonest.

  How many honest attorneys are there?

  The point the instructor was making is that this problem cannot be solved by algebra. People not good at algebra are the quickest in solving this kind of problem.

  ~Binadub
• 

  MrFreeze

  It helps build problem solving skills. There is also a lot in chemistry that we don't use in everyday life. Should we get rid of it too? Algebra makes you better at basic arithmetic as well.
• 

  DT

  I remember one time when I was working in construction. A group of guys were crawling around in the rafters of a big building trying to install diagonal bracing. Every measurement was different and they were having a hard time trying get the measurements and figure out the angles. It was such a cumbersome process that they were literally putting their lives in danger.

  They asked me to cut some boards for them. I pointed out that I already knew some of the dimensions of the building from the plans and if they just got one more easy measurement per location, I could figure out the measurements and angles from the ground. I often carried a scientific calculator in my tool belt. I just did some basic trigonometry and cut the boards for them. It saved a lot of time and was much more accurate.

  There were a lot of other times when some simple mathematics made things easier or safer. There were times when I was called on to install curved forms for concrete. It was common to just eyeball and guestimate the forms, but if you could calculate how long the form was supposed to be, it tended to just fall into place almost perfectly.
• 

  OUTLAW

  Mermaids Prefer the AlgeBra..

  ........................... ...OUTLAW
• 

  DT

  I agree that mathematics should be incorporated into other subjects, including arts and music. I know a mathematician who is also a composer. He commented on this article a little while ago in another forum and pointed out that the author may not realize how complicated the field of mathematics in music is. It starts out easy, but there are numerous websites and discussion forums dedicated to its complexities. I've personally spent years studying and composing in alternate tuning sytems where the ratios of frequencies are different than what we are used to.
• 

  glenster

  I like it. I got good grades at college in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
  My algebra teacher even complimented me after class once for pointing out a
  mistake in our text book (!). I can't say it's come up a lot since then,
  though.
• 

  noni1974

  I hate math. I always have and I always will. I just found out that I am finished with math at my college and I won't have to take anymore when I go on to my next school. It was the best news I could have ever gotten. It made my life.

  I have always struggled with math and I have come to believe that I have a form of learning disability called dyscalculia. It has made me feel stupid for years and years and was the biggest reason I put off trying to get my GED or go to college until I was 35.
• 

  straightshooter

  When I was younger and smarter, I loved algrebra. I frequently used it when I programmed computers.
• 

  CaptainSchmideo

  The articles lists Oklahoma with a 33% fail rate. But I say that's just poor teaching. Here are the stats for an OKC charter school that I am very involved with. The student population runs the gamut from "well to do" to poverty line. The population leans to a majority of Black and Hispanic, with about a third being Caucasian. You have to apply to get into this school, but while slots exist, no one is turned down or required to take an entrance exam. Many of the classes are taught at College level, and high expectations are set for the students.

  And here are the results for Spring, 2012. These are the pass rates for the End of Instruction (EOI) tests. These are the State of Oklahoma required standardized tests to determine if the student graduates:

  Algebra I = 100% Pass Rate English III = 100% Pass Rate

  Algebra II = 96% Pass Rate

  Geometry = 94% Pass Rate

  English II = 93% Pass Rate

  Biology = 86% Pass Rate

  US History = 83% Pass Rate

  100% Pass rate on Algegra I ! 96 % Pass rate on Algebra II! Don't tell me that this is too difficult for all students to take. Suck it up, Junior, and learn your schoolwork! And, you, schoolteacher, get off your butt, and use any method at your disposal to engage those students to grasp these concepts!
• 

  DATA-DOG

  I hated it. I was an A+ geometry student, but a C- Algebra student. In Algebra I could get the answer, just not the way I was supposed to. Plus I gave a jerky kid a beatdown in gym, and he just happened to be my Algebra teacher's kid. Oops! I would also become paralyzed at the blackboard, at least everyone got a good laugh.