How does one celebrate the real study of math, not be
creating curriculum that takes away all of the creativity and intrigue of
solving the problems inherit in the subject matter as our society has now done,
or at least so goes the story of the decline of math in A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart. This is a very short and fun read that begins
with the lamentation of how school has cheated us out of our most fascinating
and imaginative art form, the art of math!
Lockhart begins by illustrating how music has survived as a journey of
learning conducted differently for each student and then leads into the decline
and death of the study of math by rote education. Our math education system has destroyed
children’s natural curiosity and love of pattern-making. He agrees with many
students in school that study math… it is stupid and boring! Lockhart deconstructs the simplest of concepts
– straight lines intersecting, add numbers, counting and how to view cubes and
other structures. Lockhart provides the
challenge and uses two characters, Salviati and Simplicio to talk through why
math has become an elementary step-by-step progression that makes no sense at
all starting with elementary to middle school and high school. The arguments are fascinating and make
complete sense (the presentation of these facts are done in a “sarcastic and
comical manner.” I loved his attack on
the course progression in high school and how they make no sense at all. I often hear from college students the silliness
of high school calculus and how it is repeated in calculus in college – using
the same examples!! After reading the
book, I too wish that I had teachers who made me curious as to the problems
that math makes us think through. I wish
I had Lockhart for Math, he left college teaching and now is on the high school
math track. A great way to look at
subject matter from a very different vantage point. Every math student should treat themselves to
this simplistic, yet very deep set of questions about math! Read this one!
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