What Is the Value of Algebra?

The Washington Post ^ | February 16, 2006 | Richard Cohen

[RBroadfoot]

None, according to Richard Cohen of the Washington Post.

EXCERPT: I am haunted by Gabriela Ocampo. ... failing algebra six times in six semesters, trying it a seventh time and finally just despairing over ever getting it.

The L.A. school district now requires all students to pass a year of algebra ...

Here's the thing, Gabriela: You will never need to know algebra. I have never once used it and never once even rued that I could not use it. ...

Gabriela, sooner or later someone's going to tell you that algebra teaches reasoning. This is a lie propagated by, among others, algebra teachers. Writing is the highest form of reasoning. This is a fact. Algebra is not. The proof of this, Gabriela, is all the people in my high school who were whizzes at math but did not know a thing about history and could not write a readable English sentence. ...

Algebra ruined many a day for me. Now it could ruin your life.

[jdm]

Go for it. Glad you liked it!

[-YYZ-]

Maybe what we have here is a real lack of consensus on what the purpose of high school and a high school diploma is. For me and my friends in high school it was university prep ("UP" or academic program). For the business and general students, especially the general students, I don't know what the purpose was - looked to be mostly a holding pen for them until they reached 18. Most of them would have been better off being tracked to dedicated vocational schools where they could receive concentrated training in some useful trade.

If we use the standard of what you need to learn to get through life, do you really need any more than an elementary school education? You should have learned the 3 Rs by the time you're finished grade 6, right? The whole point of then finishing secondary education and getting a diploma is that it is supposed to show that you are a reasonably well rounded person in your education, so why is it unreasonable to expect a basic understanding of algebra? If it is unreasonable, what's the point of secondary education at all, then? It's all a bunch of English, geography, history, basic science and so on that you're probably just as unlikely to use in many walks of life as you are to use algebra. I mean, when have I ever actually needed the ability to analyze a novel for themes, or to desribe all the major soil types of the world.

[N. Theknow]

WRONG! it's PIE! ; )

And remember........

Pie are round; Cornbread are square!

[SoothingDave]

Basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, and percents) is something that people are forced to do in their everyday lives, but Algebra is not.

"Basic math" is solving the problem once it has been contructed in the proper way.

"Algebra" is figuring out what the proper way is.

Calculators and machines can do basic math. People need to know how to set the problem up before they can even begin to know an answer.

SD

[MineralMan]

"My brother is a MBA yet he is amazed that I can measure something, cut it and it fits without all the trial and error. It is all just basic algebra.
"

Exactly. For me, the advantage of knowing that stuff is that I can do most jobs myself, and put the money I save into a better place. I can't imagine hiring someone to, say, build a deck or do any of the dozens of other jobs a homeowner has to do.

I didn't learn it from my dad, either, although he did all that stuff himself. What I learned from him was that all the knowledge you need can be found at the local library. He told me that as he was building a concrete block wall about 120 feet long and 6 feet high. He'd never done anything like that before, but he got a book from the library, studied the job, then started building.

It was kind of funny. About the first 10' of that wall was a little uneven, with joints that varied a bit, and a little offset here and there on a block or two. After that, though, the wall looked like a regular mason had done it. By the end of the wall, he was laying blocks as fast as any pro I've seen do it.

I've always had the confidence to take on new stuff because of my dad, and the knowledge to use whatever math I needed. I bought a book, long ago, on using a framing square. It was one of the best books I ever bought.

[BJClinton]

Maybe this would help:

NAME____________________
GANG/CREW NAME______________ Crib _________________


1. Ramone has an AK-47 with a 30 round clip. He usually misses 6 out of
every 10 shots and he uses 13 rounds per drive-by shooting. How many
drive-by shootings can Ramone attempt before he has to reload?

2. Otis has 2 ounces of cocaine. If he sells an 8 ball to Antonio for $320
and 2 grams to Juan for $85 per gram, what is the street value of the rest
of his hold?

3. Rufus pimps 3 'ho's'. If the price is $85 per trick, how many tricks
per day must each ho turn to support Rufus's $800 per day crack habit?

4. Darius wants to cut the pound of cocaine he bought for $40,000 to make
20% profit. How many ounce bags will he need to make to obtain the 20%
profit?

5. Desmond gets $200 for a stolen BMW, $150 for stealing a Corvette, and
$100 for a 4x4. If he steals 1 BMW, 2 Corvettes and 3 4x4's, how many more
Corvettes must he steal to have $900?

6. LeRoy got 6 years for murder. He also got $10,000 for the hit. If his
common-law wife spends $100 of his hit money per month, how much money will
be left when he gets out?

7. If an average can of spray paint covers 22 square feet and the average
letter is 3 square feet, how many letters can be sprayed with 3 eight ounce
cans of spray paint with 20% paint left over?

8. Tyrone knocked up 3 girls in the gang. There are 27 girls in his gang.
What is the exact percentage of girls Tyrone knocked up?

9. LaSheena is a lookout for the gang. LaSheena also has a Boa Constrictor
that eats 3 small rats per week at a cost of $5 per rat. If LaSheena makes
$700 week as a lookout, how many weeks can she feed the Boa on one week's
income?

10. Marvin steals Joe's skateboard. As Marvin skates away at 15 mph, Joe
loads his 357 Magnum. If it takes Joe 20 seconds to load his piece, how far
away will Marvin be when he gets whacked?

[jpl]

Can a .38 pass through more than one pimp for a two-fer?

Now I believe we're moving from algebra to physics.

Physicist could probably help out with this one.

[AmericaUnite]

I use my algebra nearly everyday. Some people don't 'get' math. One of my son's can't sequence. My other son will get a math diploma like I did.

[shelterguy]

Congrats. Maybe when he is forced to use it he actually understands it better. I'm not much for learning from books, but if I can see how something works I catch on quickly.

[ladyjane]

Algebra is not advanced math.

Absolutely. I can't believe what I am reading on this thread. Kids in the 3rd grade do symbol number substitution.

I suppose you don't need it as long as you don't mind having your job done in Bangladesh.

[Right Wing Assault]

Who needs all that other stuff? Maybe we should just teach reading. Until, of course, we develop goggles than can read anything we look at. Then we won't need schools at all! ;-)

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Was it Richard or Barbie that was quoted as saying, "Math is hard."

[crescentbeach]

Gosh, I loved math, and geography too. I must be extra weird.

Seriously though, I am wondering whether this algebraic divide is a personality thing. Did any of the rest of you participate in Alamo-Girl's Freeper personality study? If so, how do you feel about math?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1588321/posts?page=1,50

INTJ/enjoyed algebra

[CodeToad]

"So what's the point of using letters to denote numerical values?"


Letters are substituted for unknown values. Such as:

1. What is the price per ounce for pickles if the jar of pickles has 24 ounces and costs $2.17?

Price per ounce = 24/2.17

or

x = 24oz/$2.17 = $0.70, or 70 cents per ounce.

2. What is the miles obtain per gallon of gas if the distance drive between two cities is 312 miles and the gallons of gas used was 50?

mpg = miles/gallons

The above equation states the formula to be used for any miles driven for any number of gallons of gas used. You simply plug in the miles and gallons, yet, the formula simply states the relationship between miles and gallons without having to use real numbers. The formula just uses letters.

Again, simple math most people do in the head everyday, but Algebra has a simple syntax to express those ideas on paper. You would never say in your head, "Let's see, now, if x is the distance..."

[shelterguy]

Very few people anymore realize the amount of info on a framing square.

[smith288]

But you cite examples of stuff that require extensive training. Algebra, the subject of discussion, is no more than Junior High math.

You dont seem to understand my point. Numbers in one's head is easier for some and extremely difficult for others.

I racked my brain trying to figure out how to calculate a percentage of increase between two numbers. Perhaps I AM an idiot but I believe its because I think differently than others who can see music in numbers.

I can pretty much code a whole web application with my eyes closed and not leave a one tag open but I can't formulate a pretty simple math problem. I don't think it has anything to so with stupidity and everything to do with how a particular person's brain works.

I have my moments of mathmetical clarity but they are fleeting and brief.

[KosmicKitty]

My gripe w/ these shows.

Never once is personal responsibiility mentioned, NEVER.

And, Maury always consoles the mother and talks about her BRAVE battle. Isn't getting an education and a real job and raising one's self up from a bad upbring more COURAGOUS.

And, Maury's "guests" span all races and nationalities, not just black or hispanic. (Okay, I've never seen someone who's asian). I can stomach it a few times a month, the whole watching a train wreck thing.

I just can't believe the total lack of SHAME that some people have.

[Sofa King]

Yeah, let's get rid of algebra. Then kids will be able to use those extra writing skills when they grow up to complain about jobs leaving the country because American kids can't compete in universities anymore.

Seriously, how the hell are we going to be graduating engineers, scientists, computer programmers, etc if our kids aren't even learning algebra until they hit college?

[jjjf]

I may use math every day, but not history.
So, who is Robert Heinlien?

[AmericaUnite]

Only trouble with Algebra is that it's a doggone arabic word.

Wasn't that before Mohamididididi.