Author Topic: Hate Math and Science? You Don't Anymore (Read 5636 times)

blackngold29 · « **on:** March 21, 2011, 09:45:09 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTFEUsudhfs

So there have been plenty of these TED Threads over the years, but this one is a little different. Usually they're something cool some guy did or crazy stuff you wouldn't expect that makes you think, but this one can actually benefit everyone here right now.

This site https://www.khanacademy.org/ has video lessons about every math topic from 1 + 1 to Linear Algebra, Chemistry, Biology, some history too. Currently over 2000 videos from one guy. Eventually he wants to include everything.

Sounds almost too good to be true, but I hate Biology, used his videos to help me out on my last test, got a 96%.

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:46:46 PM »

Who the heck hates math? And science is cool too.

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:47:57 PM »

Quote from: Jamesman on March 21, 2011, 09:46:46 PM

Who the heck hates math? And science is cool too.

People who don't understand it and probably won't make great efforts to do so.

zxlkho · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:59:16 PM »

It's impossible to hate math. If you say you do, you just suck at it.

Orbert · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:00:10 PM »

I loved math and science, partially because yeah I was pretty good at it and it was fun, but I also liked English and history and I sucked at those. I was one of those sick bastards who liked school and overall did alright at it. But I can understand people not liking something they find boring and aren't particularly good at, combined with the common belief that "it doesn't matter anyway because you'll never use it."

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:02:05 PM »

I wanna get better at Linear Algebra and Probability/Statistics, finally some good videos (although MIT has some good videos on LA). Also can brush up better on some calculus concepts (series, polar functions, 3-D calc)

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:09:29 PM »

I remember watching some of these videos a while ago when I wanted to learn about complex math concepts that weren't taught in depth in school, like LaPlace and Fourier transforms. This guy is pretty good.

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:11:42 PM »

Yeah, I remember this too, I never fully understood what the definition of a limit meant.

man, there are so many videos, definitely got some videos to watch. holy moly.

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:14:47 PM »

I actually learned Cuadrics and lots of 3-D stuff with these videos before I saw 'em in school

It was great to have some solid knowledge beforehand

SPNKr · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:26:30 PM »

sonatafanica · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2011, 10:36:58 PM »

Pretty cool stuff, coming from a person who is a B- math student.

Big Crouton · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2011, 12:04:56 AM »

This is an incredible resource. The guy does a great job of teaching too. I'm going to learn calculus now just because I can.

I always loved math and science, but the way they were taught in high-school was rather tedious and uninteresting. I love being able to learn it at my own pace. Thanks so much for sharing.

Gadough · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:12:59 AM »

I love science and I hate math. But I don't hate math because I "don't understand it." Hell, half the time I don't understand science, but I still enjoy learning about it. I hate math for some reason I can't quite pinpoint. Every time I take a math class or sit down to do math homework, I feel an incredible amount of hatred and contempt for it. I've tried on many occasions to enjoy it in the same way I enjoy other subjects. I would like to get something out of it, sure, but something in my psyche prevents me from doing so. Looking at it makes me sick to my stomach. Literally, if I were to open up an advanced math book right now and look at a random page for a few minutes, my mood would instantly change and I would get queasy. It's really weird. Something about me and math just don't click.

kári · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:19:56 AM »

Used his videos for my Linear Algebra course and got 6/20.

sneakyblueberry · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:40:22 AM »

I was good at maths but the shit bored me. Dropped that like a bad ho.

Perpetual Change · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:49:56 AM »

Quote from: DarkLord_Lalinc on March 21, 2011, 09:47:57 PM

Quote from: Jamesman on March 21, 2011, 09:46:46 PM
Who the heck hates math? And science is cool too.

People who don't understand it and probably won't make great efforts to do so.

Because the people who like it suck at teaching it

Quadrochosis · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2011, 06:31:23 AM »

Quote from: zxlkho on March 21, 2011, 09:59:16 PM

It's impossible to hate math. If you say you do, you just suck at it.

Not true.

I got a 5 on the AP BC Calc test, and was overall pretty good at math all through school, but I never really liked it.

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2011, 06:42:36 AM »

Quote from: Perpetual Change on March 22, 2011, 02:49:56 AM

Quote from: DarkLord_Lalinc on March 21, 2011, 09:47:57 PM
Quote from: Jamesman on March 21, 2011, 09:46:46 PM
Who the heck hates math? And science is cool too.

People who don't understand it and probably won't make great efforts to do so.

Because the people who like it suck at teaching it

Hey! Actually this is quite correct...although, not to boast, but it seems that when I teach it to people, they finally get it.

kári · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2011, 08:03:13 AM »

I think that goes for pretty much every occasion where someone was willing to explain something to someone else in private. I'm just trying to say that in class you don't pay full attention when you don't understand something because you don't understand it anyway. It's easier when someone is explaining you personally and can address each and every albeit stupid question you have.

Orbert · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2011, 08:19:31 AM »

Private study works better for most people, for sure. But I'd say there are still a lot of good classroom teachers out there, "good" meaning that they can present the material in a way that is interesting and engaging to a group with sometimes wide and various backgrounds in the subject. And if it's interesting and engaging, you'll get into it, and learn it before you even realize it. I had a lot of students tell me that I was the best math teacher they'd ever had, because I clearly enjoyed what I was doing and I made it fun. It can be done.

jsem · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2011, 09:12:10 AM »

Quote from: blackngold29 on March 21, 2011, 09:45:09 PM

This site https://www.khanacademy.org/ has video lessons

That is an amazing website. TYVM

blackngold29 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2011, 10:48:34 AM »

Quote from: Orbert on March 22, 2011, 08:19:31 AM

Private study works better for most people, for sure. But I'd say there are still a lot of good classroom teachers out there, "good" meaning that they can present the material in a way that is interesting and engaging to a group with sometimes wide and various backgrounds in the subject. And if it's interesting and engaging, you'll get into it, and learn it before you even realize it. I had a lot of students tell me that I was the best math teacher they'd ever had, because I clearly enjoyed what I was doing and I made it fun. It can be done.

The problem is that not every teacher is that good of a teacher. When I had physics a few semesters ago, I watched Walter Lewin's MIT videos and loved it then went to class and was taught the same lesson and I wanted to stab my teacher in the neck with a dull knife.

Same thing goes for the video, if this guy wasn't a good teacher he could make videos about anything and it wouldn't be educational at all. I think he understands that you can't replace human-to-human interaction, but there are some areas where it can actually be better to have the video, they talk about in this video.

Orbert · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2011, 11:22:26 AM »

Quote from: blackngold29 on March 22, 2011, 10:48:34 AM

The problem is that not every teacher is that good of a teacher. When I had physics a few semesters ago, I watched Walter Lewin's MIT videos and loved it then went to class and was taught the same lesson and I wanted to stab my teacher in the neck with a dull knife.

And the problem there is that teachers don't get paid shit. A good teacher has to also be willing to settle for a fraction of what he could make in the real world, and many if not most won't do that. I loved teaching, but when my son was born, the medical bills started piling up, and we needed a bigger apartment, the very first place that offerred me a programming job offerred me five grand a year more than the top teaching bid on the table. That was with six years of experience and glowing recommendations (which in education mean almost nothing).

It's a problem loosely based on the chicken and egg paradox. Teachers don't get paid well because too many people (including legislators) had shitty teachers and don't think they're worth it. And because they don't get paid well, many potentially great teachers don't pursue teaching. This leaves mostly shitty teachers in the schools, and the cycle begins anew.

blackngold29 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 22, 2011, 12:33:44 PM »

That particular teacher's problem was that she was the head of the science department (I assume she was getting paid decently) and tenured, so even if we gave her bad evaluations they wouldn't do shit. Myself and other people I knew would wait semesters hoping that someone else would teach a class, but she had a monopoly on them so it was ridiculous. She was a smart lady and had no problem understanding the material, she was just one of those people who can't explain it well to others.

Don't even get me started on colleges, when people start realizing that degrees no longer guarantee a job and solid resumes can be built outside the classroom and they can connect to people anywhere online, it'll be nice to see them try to catch up. Not that people should drop out, but in the next 15 years shits gonna change.

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:44:07 PM »

Quote from: kári on March 22, 2011, 08:03:13 AM

I think that goes for pretty much every occasion where someone was willing to explain something to someone else in private. I'm just trying to say that in class you don't pay full attention when you don't understand something because you don't understand it anyway. It's easier when someone is explaining you personally and can address each and every albeit stupid question you have.

I know, I was talking about teaching classes.

RuRoRul · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:50:45 PM »

Quote

But I'd say there are still a lot of good classroom teachers out there, "good" meaning that they can present the material in a way that is interesting and engaging to a group with sometimes wide and various backgrounds in the subject. And if it's interesting and engaging, you'll get into it, and learn it before you even realize it. I had a lot of students tell me that I was the best math teacher they'd ever had, because I clearly enjoyed what I was doing and I made it fun. It can be done.

Well I am doing Maths at university now so I'm not probably the best example of the average student that needs to be "reached" by an amazing teacher in order for me to understand / like it, but I'd definitely say the Maths teacher I had at school was the best teacher. Both in terms of actually teaching the material and in making it enjoyable etc. So I'd definitely agree with this

Zook · « **Reply #26 on:** March 22, 2011, 09:55:52 PM »

I'll admit that I hate math because I suck at it, but even if I was good at math, it's still fucking boring.

ddtonfire · « **Reply #27 on:** March 23, 2011, 12:36:13 AM »

I was hoping kahn academy could help me with my elliptic curve homework, but no dice.

ReaperKK · « **Reply #28 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:39:23 AM »

Awesome site, I feel like I'm going to end up killing a bunch of time with this site.

kári · « **Reply #29 on:** March 23, 2011, 02:45:13 PM »

Quote from: ddtonfire on March 23, 2011, 12:36:13 AM

I was hoping kahn academy could help me with my elliptic curve homework, but no dice.

I could.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #30 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:09:12 PM »

Okay, switching gears to elementary math. Mrs. Cozmo's kid had a paper of math problems due the other day. I checked the answers myself to ensure that he had the right answers. Came back today with two of them marked wrong (paraphrasing them):

1) What would be the appropriate unit of measure for figuring the perimeter of a baseball - Yards, kilometers, square feet, or square inches. He marked yards. She marked it wrong and said it's square feet.

2) In the past two weeks, the lunchroom sold a total of 378 boxes of milk at $0.75 apiece. How would you figure out the total sales? There were two obviously wrong answers, then 378 x $0.75, and 2 x 378 x $0.75. He said 378 x $0.75. She marked it wrong and said it's 2 x 378 x $0.75.

Somebody please tell me I'm not crazy and that she has clearly marked two answers wrong that were not wrong.

ddtonfire · « **Reply #31 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:22:57 PM »

Quote from: kári on March 23, 2011, 02:45:13 PM

Quote from: ddtonfire on March 23, 2011, 12:36:13 AM
I was hoping kahn academy could help me with my elliptic curve homework, but no dice.
I could.

Actually I think I got it, but thanks! Division mod 2 on E₈ for some field got a little confusing at first.

Guitar Cozmo:
1) Perimeter is total distance around an object, so it would indeed be yards, since that's the smallest unit of measurement provided that isn't squared.
2) If it were 378 boxes per week at $0.75, she would be right. From the wording, it sounds as if it's 378 boxes total, so he's right.

Your kid needs a new math teacher.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #32 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:33:51 PM »

For the second one, it specifically says "During the past two weeks, a total of 378 cartons of juice were sold in the school cafeteria. Each carton costs $0.75. Which expression could be used to find the total cost of the juice that was sold."

Two of them were division based, then the two I listed. The way the problem is worded, he answered correctly.

Orbert · « **Reply #33 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:37:00 PM »

Totally agree.

1) Perimeter is a linear measure, it's a distance, so there's no way the answer would be "square" anything.

2) It said "a total of 378 boxes of milk" so the fact that it was over a two-week period is irrelevant.

If she wrote these questions herself, she needs to learn to write story problems.

kári · « **Reply #34 on:** March 23, 2011, 04:51:46 PM »

That is fucked up Cozmo.

News: Track-by-track video for Untethered Angel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Co1_h0GtAw

Author Topic: Hate Math and Science? You Don't Anymore (Read 5636 times)