There’s a statistic floating around out there in the sphere of existence that says that for every one bad teacher it takes 3 years to recover.
Ask anyone that knows me and they’ll tell you that I’m not as knowledgable in the intricasies of mathematics. On the contrary, I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum, more right-brained and imaginative then left-brained and organized. My wife sometimes can’t understand why I can’t think logically like she can and I have to remind her that we all have our quirks, talents and stigmas.
My own personal infliction of disdain and embarassment is the four-letter word known as Math. For as long as I can remember I’ve had issues with sequences of logic and I believe it all stems from the slew of horrific teachers I had in my grade school years. It seems that between 5th and 7th grade I lost any sort of interest in Math pretending that it wasn’t a crucial part of my life, not realizing of course at the time that it would have an important effect on my adulthood.
For the past few years I’ve gotten by without having to resort to using Mathematics in my daily life. I’ve worked retail positions where customer satisfaction is the driving force for sales but in this day and age most cash registers have been replaced with computers that resemble cash registers. Most of the time it’s just a matter of remembering a specific pattern or utilizing a bit of common sense to avoid using Math but in certain instances it’s a great asset. Which is why I’ve embarked on a quest to re-learn something I had detested for half of my entire life and for this reason I’ve come to realize that things that discourage us will always be overcome at some point in our lifetimes. The simple route is to exit stage left and focus rather on what we know and what we’re comfortable with.
Had I known this 10 years ago I think I’d be in a different point in my life right now. In fact I might have even decided to become a Math teacher to teach kids who struggle with addition, subtraction and multiplication. My own personal battle with Math isn’t over, no, it’s just begun but at least I took the first step towards realizing I had an issue and overcoming it, one baby step at a time.
Funny you mention this - Mom once had a job as a supermarket cashier, decades ago. Back then (late 60s) you really had to memorize a lot of product codes and have a fast hand and mind to operate a cash register. Last I checked, those who do that job today just pass stuff through a scanner that goes *beep*…*beep*…*beep*… no need to memorize anything.
Yet they still complain… :P
As far as math goes, after nearly a decade of doing web work for a living I can say that, if something like Flash existed by the time I was stuggling with algebra in HS, I would have been much more interested in the subject. Programming languages like Javascript and Actionscript are, at its core, applied algebra. When you have the grasp of this knowledge, the sky’s the limit. They should show kids stuff like this - we’d probably have less school dropouts. If only good computers were cheaper…
I think you got your brain halves mixed up: the left half does sequence thingies (like language, for example), the right half does the logic stuff (so math too, probably).
Manuzhai: I pulled my information from this resource which states that the left brain is responsible for logical thinking and the right for intuitive, holistic thinking.
What part of your brain do think is most dominant?
My first experience in math was my father getting mad at me and breaking a Darth Vader pencil I had received for Christmas because I wasn’t correctly performing some elementary form of arithmetic. It’s hard to give a crap about anything when misunderstanding (or disability) is met with such daunting opposition, especially math. I haven’t given a crap since then.
Charlie: Of all things, a Darth Vader pencil?? I think there is some law against such a thing, breaking a pencil with Darth Vader on it or in the shape of the Jedi master. Ludicrous if you ask me.
Charlie, what’s 15-(8*7)^2 / 26?
Answer: Who cares?!
Beto: Good point. I suppose if I were more knowledgable of Flash and Actionscript specifically I’d understand Mathematics more, but considering I’m still out in blue yonder when it comes to either of those, well, it’s still a confusing subject to me.
The language of Math is interesting but unforgivable when it comes to test time.
Hm, yeah, that sounds about right as well. I just thought that since language was in the left side, logic would be in the other side (since women are generally acknowledged to be less good at visuo-spatial tasks — which I was incorrectly mixing up with logic in general, I guess).
Even though I’m not all that great in math, my brain is split evenly down the middle, or that was what one of those aptitude tests told me at least.
I did rock in my science and programming classes though, so maybe it was just an interest thing.
Kartooner,
The answer to your problem is:
-105.6153846153846153846153846153
Remember to use PEMDAS
Parenthesis -> Exponents -> Multiplication -> Division -> Addition -> Subtraction.
Hope this helps!
I beg your pardon. Recently, I have gotten myself a Pentium 1, 233 MHz, with whopping 32 megs of RAM, a 14 inch monitor and no mouse. I can assure you it did not cost a lot of money. Yesterday, I spent the evening programming in Delphi 6 and not only it was fun, I never had my CPU maxed out and the computer wasn’t running significantly slower than my main Duron 750 MHz / 256 MB RAM.
It’s not all about the speed.
On topic of the original post, I can live without math, but I’ll do it with pleasure and excellent results if required. OTOH, I hate stuff like English… I couldn’t care less what the themes are in whichever book I’m reading. I’m just interested in the plot, in what happens, in what, ultimately, makes the book worth reading.
And PEMDAS? In school they taught me BEDMAS, and I daresay it sounds way better.
Manuzhai : At this point I’m not sure what either of them do and to prevent any more confusion I’ll just turn off my mind, give it rest and power up again.
Max:
I think you’re right, Max. I believe that I’m more interested in these subjects the older I get and partly because I feel I can apply them to everyday life and in the long run better myself and my skills. Science used to scare the living daylights out of me because I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of information and neither did I feel it had any weight or significance in my life.
Mrs. Goodrich: Thank you. If I had spent the time trying to figure it out I might have come to that answer but presently I need a refresher course on negative integers.
P.E.M.D.A.S. to me is “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally”, or it’s the way I was taught to remember way back when in the hayday of my childhood.
Jarek: Okay, Jarek, you need to explain how to use BEDMAS.
I always despised math in high school. That was until I took physics and programming. I now realize how fortunate I was to have programming (Pascal, C++, VB, if your curious) in school, and with an awesome instructor nonetheless.
Both classes helped tremendously in the application of math to real world problems, even though I am in the creative field dominated by the right side o’ the brain. I think there needs to be a change in the way math is taught, showing how it is applicable.
It might be helpful to take a physics or programming class, kartooner. It is great that you have the drive to polish your skills.
Hey Erik, Long time, no talk. I hope all is well. Your website is amazing, Zoe is gorgeous! I am so proud of you and Chessie. As far as the math goes, math is actually pretty amazing. Math is everywhere, in everything. Considering you are an artist and a computer whiz, you know a lot more about math than you give yourself credit for. I hope the family is well, say hello to everyone. Love, cousin Shelly
Well, good luck to you! Math wouldn’t stop screaming “that’s my purse” and kicking me in the balls, so I gave up.
I might start teaching a class on how to avoid doing math, while doing math.
Aaaah, Shelly! I lost your cell in the great malfunction of 05. If you still have mine, call it.. :-D Back on topic, Math does amazingly suck, and I think you realize it around 7th grade. I can’t really say I use a lot of it other then programming. It seems like nowadays computers do most the math, and pencil/paper is but a distant second.
I hated Math in high school, but I loved English due to its creative make stuff up aspect. With math, you can’t make anything up.. 1+1 is always going to be 2, but there can be multiple sides to a story.
::shrug::
Jarek:
I know, but I didn’t put that remark in that sense. I was thinking more about public schools being able to afford them or, even better, give every student a laptop as Apple did in Maine some time ago.
That would be bliss.
Beto:
That would make sense considering white boxes (or clones) are so cheap to come by these days. Most schools, I would think, could even strike up deals with computer manufacturers and distributors like Ingram Micro, Dell or HP and start putting computers in more classrooms to aide in instruction.
Greg - I avoided math by dropping out of college.
Matt, I will call you soon. I figured you were avoiding me.
Has anyone heard of the Fibinocci sequence or marveled at the world around them? Everything is math, numbers, calculations, geometry… I am going into teaching and took a class on how to make math more interesting for students last semester. Everyone in my class expressed the same concerns as you all are. It is very true that math seems scary and we have had bad teachers, especially girls. Because we all know boys are better at math. But math really does not have to be boring and monotonous. It can become real and applicable. Anyways, I completely agree that every student should have their own computer. Even if it is not the greatest, something that is more practical for the times we live in rather than paper and gel pens.
Im not avoiding you reject.. Just been extremely busy with work and personal stuff. Gezzus, get over yourself, you think for your selfer… Hah.. jk.. :-D Ya call me..:0D
Fine then, whatever…I am sure that you are very busy. How are things going? How is work? Yes, very personal stuff, I heard, I am happy for you. All grown up, all of us, still shocks me. What the heck is a “selfer”?
Love ya!
P.S. I know I am somewhat technologically challenged, but how do you get that little happy face icon to show up like that?
’scuse me for answering late, exams and other niceties to deal with.
kartooner: BEDMAS is simply brackets exponents division multiplication addition subtraction. IMHO BEDMAS sounds better than PEMDAS… :) not too mention parenthesises are in English, mathematics calls it brackets IIANM.
beto: getting a free laptop sounds like an interesting deal indeed. Too bad my school can’t even afford a decent snow shovel (or so they make it seem).
I feel you here brother. I hate math. Thus far, my 3 years of college have been relatively math-free. Thank God for that (Bachelor in Arts is a beautiful thing in the state of Oregon). I recently picked up a job at a coffee stand, only to find that the job is riddled with math. Crap. OK OK, so it’s no more than simple addition, but I didn’t sign up for this! 2.75 + 3.50 + 1.35, all while a customer is waiting and another one is at the second window?!?! Yeah, math is no fun… even if it is just addition.
Thanks for calling tonight…….NOW GET WELL…YOU SOUNDED SO SICK…cough, cough.
2+2= smart son….Erik you’re doing some great things with your life…keep up the wonderful efforts
Love,
Dad
I was doing my thesis/ payroll system program one time in school and instead of coding scripts and formulas that makes the whole thing work, i found myself tweaking the colors and effects on my graphic user interface for 4 hours straight. i got my computer science degree after that, but i knew i was no computer scientist. at that point, i knew programming wasn’t my forte and i would rather look at some cool computer animations than lines of code. i found that, whenever there is interest, there is progression. i’m sure as hell i have no interest in programming, but i’m very keen in learning multimedia. my interest is definitely there and i know i’ll excel in that.