Re: OT new math

[Guest guest]

______________

> I was (and still am) very upset that I wasn't taught this basic, simple,

> beautiful, profound stuff at an earlier age; I consider almost all of

> my math education prior to my third year of college to be a waste of

> time. Calculus, number theory, and all that other wimpy crap can be

> learned in a couple weeks once you learn the real math they introduced

> to the general public as " new math " some decades ago. I'm a victim of

> the unjust backlash against " new math " and its removal from curricula.

> My life could be totally different now if only someone taught me the

> " new math " when I was a kid. To me, the people (obviously it wasn't

> just one guy who " created " or even promoted it as your dad would have

> us believe) who introduced " new math " to school curricula are heroes

> and visionaries. I get really upset every time I think about this

> topic and how I went my whole childhood without being taught that

> stuff, while others who were lucky enough to be exposed to " new math "

> as kids whine and complain about it. People never appreciate what

> they have. - Mike

> ___________________

,

What can I say? The grass is always greener on the other side of the

fence. To each his own. Get over it. These all come to mind. We can

all cry about how things would have been so different if only ________.

FYI, " new math " is alive and well in some homeschool elementary

mathematics curricula. Fortunately, it now takes its proper place

behind the scenes. Sets are a basic, intuitive concept. They have

there place in logic and elsewhere, but we needn't spend years on the

subject matter, imo, especially in mathematics.

And no, I am not offended by your comments directed toward my dad. We

argue about things all the time, actually. This is just once instance

of agreement for us.

Peace,

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Uh oh. The grammar police are going to have a field day! The sentence

should read:

> They have their place in logic and elsewhere, but we needn't spend

> years on the

> subject matter, imo, especially in mathematics.

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: " Anton "

> My life could be totally different now if only someone taught me the

> " new math " when I was a kid. To me, the people (obviously it wasn't

> just one guy who " created " or even promoted it as your dad would have

> us believe) who introduced " new math " to school curricula are heroes

> and visionaries. I get really upset every time I think about this

> topic and how I went my whole childhood without being taught that

> stuff, while others who were lucky enough to be exposed to " new math "

> as kids whine and complain about it. People never appreciate what

> they have.

The beauty of homeschooling.

I was a victim of " new math. " I don't think that the average 6 yo has the

physical melanation to make the neurological connections that these concepts

require. I don't think it was appropriate to try and teach those to first

graders. In discussing this with people over the course of my more than 40

years, you're the first person who felt like they'd had an epiphany when

they discovered these concepts. Everyone else felt crippled and traumatized

by the struggle and now have a mental block about math.

Wouldn't it have been beautious if you and I had each been homeschooled and

learned according to our own bliss?

--s