@maxdancona,
maxdancona wrote:The majority of students see math as a set of numerical mad libs. You find a memorized formula to match some problem, and you plug the numbers in. The number of students who actually understand the formula (or even have any interest in understanding it) are very few. I am highly skeptical that there is any value to this exercise.
If you are talking about teach real math, that is the expressive language that engineers, scientists and mathematicians use to communicate and solve problems, we don't ever teach that in high school. There is nothing to retain.
But fortunately, most Americans have no need to learn real math. And the vast majority of Americans have no interest in doing so.
I must agree with you maxdancona.
I teach at a very large post secondary technical institution and math is a big portion of the subject matter (both directly and indirectly) and yet I know with reasonable certainty that my students (although required to know the particulars of the math I teach) are very unlikely to utilize this math on any kind of a regular basis, if ever.
Which brings up an interesting point perhaps you can help me with. I would like to improve my skills in physics and math, should you have any suggestions in this regard. My post secondary technical institution will provide the funding for these courses, but I have not availed myself of this.
But shopping uses arithmetic and basic algebra and it's quicker doing it in your head.