Start early, I guess.
Posted on 12/19/2017 2:44:20 PM PST by RicocheT
"The U.S. is about to spend a small fortune on teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM....That’s a good investment in theory, but the American education system is in no position to make the most of it."
"...Students should reach college prepared to take serious science and engineering courses, yet many don’t. Our math teaching is half a century out of date, and without math there is no STEM. Computer science builds on electronics and “discrete mathematics,” as opposed to the classical type leading to calculus."
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Start early, I guess.
There are indeed many applications for Calculus but almost everyone I know working in a field that requires calculus, even intense and daily use of calculus has software for the math. They are paid to think, plank an manage not calculate.
I was an honors, straight A kind of student. I even loved math until I got the 7th grade teacher from hell who ruined it and I never recovered the love even though I was still quite capable and proficient at it. I went back and forth on a future career, everything from Archaeologist, Physicist to Stock Broker. When I took Calculus in high school after the first few weeks I realized that even if I became a physicist I would never use this. If I became a physics professor and was teaching I would use it but when it comes time to fire up the super-collider, Jimmy John ain’t ciphering that by hand. Do computers break, do you have Apollo 13 moments? Yes, but that doesn’t mean you build an education and waste valuable classroom time based on that scenario.
If you’re programming you’re doing math - applied algebra!
You are using symbols, you have a syntax(grammar) for how you structure your statements, specific symbols(or methods) for expressing unity & inverse and rules. It’s an algebra!
My son did an all-nighter week before last. Literally no sleep. He has met his partner many times early in the morning and worked into the night.
A perfect example for success.
You’re sort of right, I have software such a Mathematica that will do some of the “grunt work” of Calculus. However if I hadn’t had Calculus I wouldn’t know how to set the problem up for Mathematica let alone interpret the results. In short it can’t think for me.
By the way there is some good “math software” out there thats free. It’s very powerful - Google “computer algebra system Maxima (or Reduce)”. There are probably others out there by these are free and impressive!
Math is weight lifting for the mind.
Bingo!
As a 25 year PE I echo your observations.
I do not understand those who dismiss math as useless, wasteful and not needed.
Ignorance of math does not benefit anyone. If you must be ignorant of advanced mathematics, you should not brag about it.
I liked the old books. Can only find them in libraries and garage sales. They were cut and dry. We used paper, pencils, erasers and chalk talk. a LOT of chalk talk. All tests were written long form and had to prove. No calculators allowed.
90% of programming is advanced algebra. Math is necessary.
I worked a couple decades for an outfit that had numerous civil engineers. Many were just plain lost without a book or having some example to copy. I caught on to this early on when an old engineer was retiring and I commented to him. His reply was that to be accepted as an engineer when he was a kid you had to have a nature ability to create and invent and that was no longer a standard.
I had no problem believing him.
What is the starting salary for that job? $150K+ I hope.
Is this integral to the argument? Or are you just trying to diverge from the real discussion? Because sometimes it is hard to differentiate.
Some truth to that, but you should throw in a lot of computer programming.
That’s interesting, but it makes sense. There are used to discipline, doing things in an orderly organized fashion. I find that a lot of engineering is just logic. That’s why it is such a shame that geometry is not emphasized in our schools. It really teaches logic well, if kids are forced to do the proofs. Anymore, I don’t even think they are!
My niece obtained some kind of an art degree and is now very bitter that she cannot make much money. Colleges and universities should have to declare data about each discipline: the probability of getting hired in that discipline and what someone can expect to be paid immediately after graduation. Otherwise, they are just deceiving people into thinking that every discipline has some huge demand in the real world.
My stepson majored in English. He now has a great job at UPS...driving a delivery truck.
And you would be well prepared for any engineering or science class
Part of the problem is that school districts do not / cannot pay people enough to draw them into education rather than working for Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, Lockheed-Martin, GM, Ford, and so forth.
If they are interested....not everyone needs to know how to program
I remember having “proofs” pounded into me in 9th grade geometry. It was a lesson in logical thinking that has served me well whether I am doing a mathematical proof, writing a report or listening to the pro and con of a political argument.
You’re right ii is a shame it’s not emphasized. If I had a “conspiracy theory” frame of mind I would think it was by design.
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