Soon after my first term grade three 'E' mark in math, with the
teacher's 'Can do Better' comment, I did do better, much better.
From there, I completed grades 4-6 in two years, thrilled on reaching
high school sooner than expected. In this new learning environment,
I was intrigued and infatuated by math's appeal and the excitement it
generated. Now a label called 'math-phobia' is being tossed about,
maligning and casting aspersions upon one of the greatest subjects on
earth. ... (Has the media helped to point us in this direction?)
Mathematics is both logical and a mystery of solutions, formulas
and shapes. Its applications in life are real, relevant and numerous.
Wherever I walk, I imagine the shortest route to my destination,
always thinking about the hypotenuse of a triangle. (The sum of the
two sides of a right angle triangle squared equals the opposite straight line squared, called a hypotenuse, and commonly referred to as the Pythagorean
theorem.) This theory has fascinated me, to this very day. ... By
grade 10, I became immersed in the wonderful world of algebra and
geometry. ... My high marks made me the student to call on whenever
the class needed help. Though the math teacher mispronounced my name,
on a regular basis, I simply grimaced and answered his questions,
nonetheless. (I loved math, without hesitation.) When invited to
join the grade 13 math club, I jumped at the opportunity. Like choir,
the math club challenged my senses to their limits. ... To be a 14
year old in a senior math club, with much older students, seemed as
if I had jumped to the front of the class, again. ... I was thrilled
to be a member of such an illustrious club. My 90's first term
final math mark had helped catapult me into this new world of higher
math. I had much to learn and experience. ... Soon after, the math
club folded. I was crestfallen. My trip into wonderland was
officially over. (Math and music stayed with me till 'grade 13')
The study of math in school is critical to functioning ably in
today's high tech world. But, somehow, along the way, math phobia was
born. Why? When did that happen? I was never aware of this condition,
growing up. With the proliferation of calculators in our lives to
simplify all our math problems, are we crippling our children's
minds in the process? Understanding math takes time. (Using a
calculator in schools, non-stop, can mask our failings in math. That
is not a good thing.)
Math is exciting. ... In the beginning, we learn to recognize,
then count numbers, in sequence. From there, it's onto the fabulous
world of 'zero' and its incredibly fun properties when paired with
other 'real' numbers. Zero is an anomaly, nothing on its own, but
incredibly powerful when added on to other numbers. Then you enter
the world of percent-%- where zero takes on a new perspective, yet
again. Zero is a fascinating character, in a class all its own! The
process of adding numbers, subtracting them, multiplying and dividing
them helps to quantify and describe people, places and things. ...
Then we have mass, density, weight, length, volume, perimeter and
area- explained by using numbers in structured formulas. Nothing is
left to chance in math. The subjects of geometry, algebra and
calculus give us an intricate look into our world, in great detail.
Word puzzles involving numbers are asked, helping to further our understanding of this unique math game. ... How can any of that be scary? Numbers and our understanding of them
brings structure, peace and tranquility to our lives, in countless ways. The
alternative is chaos and stress. Math eliminates stress. It does not
cause it.... (All three sons took calculus, algebra and geometry in
high school. Math is the key that opens the many doors to our future) ...
Math is a fun subject, It is an intimate and integral part of our
everyday lives from balancing our budgets to measuring all that is
required for a home renovation and determining its total cost. Car payments, mortgages, interest
rates, debt repayment, amortization schedules brings math up close and
personal. .... Math builds bridges, cities and brings inventions to
life. Being afraid of numbers is to be afraid to explore and live our
lives to the fullest....(We then must rely upon and trust others to
sort out our math lives because we do not understand it ourselves.)
Mathematics begins as a counting game for children then builds to a
crescendo in high school.. The bigger and more complicated our life
becomes, the more we need math and all that it represents. It is the
greatest equalizer on earth, our friend and a way to find answers in
this modern, complex world.
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