I managed to navigate elementary and high school without understanding how to properly study for a math test. When I arrived at college, the game changed significantly, and my grades reflected my struggles. One of the most frightening and daunting experiences I ever faced as a student was when the grades came out after the…
Why Would They Change Math?
Common Core math standards are controversial enough that they made their way into a Disney movie. Mr. Incredible attempting to understand the way Dash is doing his math homework is a familiar sight to modern parents. “Why would they change math? Math is math!” he shouts. Mr. Incredible is talking about the 1960s New Math…
What Is Math?
I took courses in mathematics all through grammar and secondary school, and even a few at the college level, all without ever really asking myself this simple question – what is math? My handy shortened edition of the Oxford English Dictionary offers this definition: “a group of related sciences that use a specialized notation to…