How often do we think about what students will do with what we teach them? I mean besides needing it for the next test, or the next class. It seems that most of the math that we teach is not needed by the vast majority of people that are required to learn it. In addition, I recently read that given a problem in their field that requires mathematics a high percentage (I believe over 90%) of people are capable of doing what is required whereas when presented with the same concept in a more traditional way (as it is taught in classrooms) the percentage is criminally lower.
What does this suggest? Teaching math out of context is a bad idea.
Yet I’m also reminded of a quote by textbook author and teacher extraordinaire, Paul Foerster, that “what I know I may never use, but what I don’t know I will definitely never use.” While true, this could be said about anything and suggests, taken to an extreme of course, that we should pack as much into our students brains as possible. Out of context, though, means much of it would be inaccessible.
So I sit here trying to reconcile the fact that most of the material I teach my students they will never use. So what do I really want my students to take with them?
I want them to make mistakes and be okay with it. Or better yet, learn from them.
I want them to learn how to ask good questions, and how to figure out the answers.
I want them to learn that they are the masters of their lives. Their choices determine their happiness in life.
It’s a start at least.
