Two kinds of mathematics
Mathematics, at almost any level, can be either practical or ideal. Problems arise when the two kinds are confused.
Greece vs. Bablylon
Articles Tagged with learning
School’s out
Exactly useless
Stages of learning a foreign language
Our consultants are mostly concerned with teaching science and mathematics, claiming no expertise in the very different skill of teaching language. They have, however, learned several, which gives some insight into the process.
Ideal lies
Why learn something that isn’t true?
As we progress in school, the lessons get more difficult and complicated. Sometimes they’re difficult because we have to unlearn things.
The colors of your mind
Remembrance of things past
When learning doesn’t fade away
Our tutoring consultant has an encouraging experience with his own memory.
A surfeit of features
No one uses them all
Digital cameras, like calculators, have an immense menu of features. It’s certainly rare, and possibly unknown, for anyone to use them all. Why have them, then?
The John Henry moment
Old technology triumphant
A mathematics teacher is not much like a nineteenth-century railroad worker–but there are parallels. Our consultant who tutors High School math and science continues to learn from it; sometimes, his students do also.
Classes of classes
What is the aim of school?
A recent comment on one of our posts raises the question of what teachers are trying to achieve in school. The answer varies.
It’s simpler than that
Teachers can know too much
High School chemistry rests on a base of sophisticated quantum mechanics. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to master the advanced subject in order to use its results.