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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 10/06/2011 : 20:00:36
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More insightful commentary from Gwen DeWar, this time about Americans' poor and damaging attitudes toward math.
I was rather shocked by this:
In a fascinating and disturbing longitudinal study, Sian Beilock and colleagues tracked 117 American first- and second-graders across the school year. In this study, all the students had female teachers. Some of the teachers scored high on a test of math anxiety. Others did not.
The students’ math skills were tested at the beginning of the school year, and again near the end. Then the results were compared with their teachers’ levels of math anxiety.
As you might expect, there were no links between teacher math anxiety and student performance at the beginning of the school year. But by the end of the year, female students showed an effect:
The higher a teacher’s math anxiety, the lower the girls’ overall math achievement.
We might conclude that the teachers with high math anxiety were simply worse math teachers. But this seems unlikely because there was no link between teacher math anxiety and math achievement for boys. |
Since I'm homeschooling my daughter, this is motivation to spend a lot of time on the Khan Academy website watching lectures and sharpening up my math skills so I can feel confident as well as be capable of teaching her.
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"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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Edited by - marfknox on 10/06/2011 20:02:42
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2011 : 20:56:07 [Permalink]
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| Marfknox, your post brought to mind a TV actress Danica Mckellar. She starred a number of years ago on a TV series called "The Wonder Years". I guess in real life she is some kind of wiz-bang mathematical genius and has authored a number of math books aimed to encourage middle-school age girls to excell at math. Maybe something here for you and your daughter for future reference. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 06:26:00 [Permalink]
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Mathematics does not lend itself well and may in fact be in conflict with American pragmatism. The use of abstraction and logical reasoning, mathematics evolved from counting, calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of physical objects. That is a lot of study to finally understand mathematics are bound by constructs and restrictive in discipline.
Some examples. The one with the math skills may be the score keeper. The NBA player just has to make the hoops and ends up with the multi-million dollar contract.
People with math skills may find jobs as teachers, engineers, accountants. Not the type of rewarding careers compared to Rock Stars, Pro Athletes, Movie starts, Boxers, NBA, NFL, NHL, Baseball etc. etc.
The reason America is a superpower and the richest country in the World is because the population is poor in math. They spend more than their earn and that keeps the economy going.
It is this new emphasis on education, math and science that is destroying the American way of life. People are starting to do the math and creating this gloom and doom about sustainability.
The housing boom (subprime lending ) made some people very rich. The economy was turbo charged. It is only when people started to do the math that caused this bubble to burst. Where ignorance is a bliss it is sometimes foolish to be wise.
Could Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, QB Michael Vick have done better if they took math in school. Nonsense.
It is not knowing your limits that makes human aspirations defy the odds and surpass all expectations which otherwise would received an average nod and become a routine statistic. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
 Posted - 10/07/2011 : 09:57:54 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by justintime
Could Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, QB Michael Vick have done better if they took math in school. Nonsense.
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It's an interesting dilemma. Even after math school, would Paris Hilton be able to count farther than the number of Charlie Sheen's remaining brain cells?
It's a mystery that will probably always elude us. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 11:04:41 [Permalink]
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That brings to mind a Q&A from the "Ask Marilyn" column.Goes something like this...
Reader question:
Here's a question from my 83 fifth grade math students, who keep asking me what your answer is:
"In real life, when would you ever multiply (or divide, for that matter) two negative numbers?" The closet I've come up with is, "If you didn't get what you want, that's positive".
Response:
Forget this kind of justification for studying math. It's as irrelevant as asking a question like, "In real life, when would you ever do a sit-up?" Unless you work as a trainer you wouldn't. That doesn't mean you should complain about doing set-ups as a part of physical conditioning.
People need to be in good intellectual condition too. Even if your not going to make heavy use of math in your profession, you still need to know how to think logically. Tell the kids I said that studying math accomplishes two goals: It prepares some kids to think like scientists, and it prepares all the others to think, period. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
| Edited by - Randy on 10/07/2011 11:05:43 |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 12:35:21 [Permalink]
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| Randy, thanks for the mention. When we had a girl my husband actually brought up Mckeller as a role model. I had no idea. Mayim Bialik (former star of the sitcom "Blossom" and currently on "The Big Bang Theory") has a PhD in Neuroscience. Some people are just overachievers. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 10/07/2011 12:44:27 |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 12:42:54 [Permalink]
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| justintime, I knew it! I knew you were really a troll. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 12:46:12 [Permalink]
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| I just put McKellar's "Math Doesn't Suck", "Kiss My Math", and "Hot X: Algebra Exposed" on my Amazon.com wish list. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 13:08:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
Randy, thanks for the mention. When we had a girl my husband actually brought up Mckeller as a role model. I had no idea. Mayim Bialik (former star of the sitcom "Blossom" and currently on "The Big Bang Theory") has a PhD in Neuroscience. Some people are just overachievers.
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From Wiki:
(snip)
McKellar is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail, that encourages girls in middle school to enjoy and succeed at mathematics.
In an interview with Smith, McKellar said that she wrote the book "to show girls that math is accessible and relevant, and even a little glamorous" and to counteract "damaging social messages telling young girls that math and science aren't for them".
I think that's just fantastic that McKellar is a stellar role-model for young girls. Actually, for everyone. I could see her on a TV series bringing her message to the masses.
We've had quite a run with Carl Sagan, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson and the like as spokesman between science and the public. There's plenty of room for women to step up in that role.
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"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 15:04:38 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
justintime, I knew it! I knew you were really a troll.
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Are you sure?
I took this post as being some pretty fine satire.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 17:31:26 [Permalink]
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| Mab, if it is meant is satire, then I truly commend justintime for his convincing imitation of American anti-intellectualism. But taken with his ramblings on other threads on SFN, I'm sticking with my assertion that he's just a troll. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/08/2011 : 07:12:02 [Permalink]
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It is a very novel approach here to hear someone offer plausible answers and connect the dots.......when the general accepted and indoctrinated approach is to respond to every post and line with a question like some grade 6 introductory class.
Skeptics often ask. Can you show me some evidence? If one never understood the material under consideration even what is self evident would be loss on them. |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/08/2011 : 09:06:37 [Permalink]
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justintime wrote: It is a very novel approach here to hear someone offer plausible answers and connect the dots.......when the general accepted and indoctrinated approach is to respond to every post and line with a question like some grade 6 introductory class.
Skeptics often ask. Can you show me some evidence? If one never understood the material under consideration even what is self evident would be loss on them. |
The troll suffers from delusions of grandeur. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/08/2011 : 17:12:17 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
justintime wrote: It is a very novel approach here to hear someone offer plausible answers and connect the dots.......when the general accepted and indoctrinated approach is to respond to every post and line with a question like some grade 6 introductory class.
Skeptics often ask. Can you show me some evidence? If one never understood the material under consideration even what is self evident would be loss on them. |
The troll suffers from delusions of grandeur.
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Shakespeare‘s tragic women may be marginalized and victimized, but their often pivotal roles in Shakespeare’s tragedies offer evidence of the complex and contested nature of gender and power.
I wish you were a more formidable adversary. But what nature provided you and circumstance alone is an artless form of bitchiness only menopause can fully comprehend.
Men are patient to a fault.....I will survive your mood swings if you can blot those days in advance.
It is very distracting to communicate with someone who has a scalp full of menstrual gel. Might explain why the 3 big religions recommends women cover their heads in public. |
| Edited by - justintime on 10/09/2011 06:33:57 |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2011 : 07:33:56 [Permalink]
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| ...and then hangs himself with his own rope. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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justintime
BANNED
382 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2011 : 09:23:34 [Permalink]
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| I might have inadvertently answered the question. Why Men prefer Blondes? |
| Edited by - justintime on 10/09/2011 09:36:56 |
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Math's Nerdy Reputation and Stereotypes Hurt Kids
