The way math should be taught [video]

10 pointsposted 3 days ago
by marvinborner

1 Comments

pbrowne011

3 days ago

Paul Lockhart's "A Mathematician's Lament" [1] is the work that inspired his book, "Measurement" [2], which this video covers. I've always enjoyed it as a portrayal of the yin and yang of mathematics, calculating equations vs. proving them. The American education system overindexes on calculations, which, as Lockhart points out, tend to drown out the deeper joy that comes with mathematics. It's fascinating to see the battle between rote calculation and discovery play out at all levels, from students who feel that they "don't get math", to former olympiad medalists who struggle in graduate school.

[1] https://www.ams.org/notices/201304/rnoti-p461.pdf

[2] A preview: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/file/feeds/PDF/9780674067349_sam...