Every Day Math

We use math every single day. We are so accustomed to using math that we do not even realize that we are at the time being. In a simple scenario, walking down the isle in a super market, we notice that there is a sale on our favorite food. Without thinking, our minds are already doing the task for us relaying that the current price is less than what is was the day before. Now, this may not be sophisticated math, but math it is. Math is a part of our daily routines without any question. Another way that we use math without realizing is while gardening. One would not think so but, again, it is simple math. If you plant a certain flower or crop, it might need to be a certain distance from the other plant next to it. Being able to measure the distance apart from one another, is considered math.

For most of us, we have been learning math since we started to count our first numbers. Back then, our parents would ask us how many red apples there are on the table. As toddlers, would count each individual apple saying each counting number out loud. This was our way of learning, slowly but, effectively. Negative numbers were not processed into our minds yet. What a joy those negative numbers are now that we need to know them today. After learning years of multiple types of math, we have been able to learn the concept of negativity.

We can use to math when we are predicting what the stock market prices will be in the upcoming future. People are always looking at the change in the stock market seeing when they want to sell their stocks and when to buy more. We also use math if we have bank accounts, figuring out how much money we have to spend on certain things and what not to spend. This is in relation with those who deal with credit cards. We are forced to work with numbers if we are planning on keeping on eye how much money we are spending. Don't lose track of the money that you have because then you will be in danger of going into what is known as credit card debt. Once you are in this trap, it is hard to get out.

Returning to my previous statement, there are some task that we do that we wouldn't consider as math, but they really are. Cooking, a common example, we would not think that this is math at first, but if you think about it, without a doubt it is. If we need to measure three tablespoons of sugar, but we only have a teaspoon measuring devise, we would need to be able to calculate how many teaspoons are in three tablespoons. Knowing that three teaspoons are equivalent to one tablespoon, we would then need to know that we need to use nine teaspoons to pour in the right about of sugar; 3 X 3 = 9.

http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com/mathtips/everydaymath.html

Mathematicians

There have been so many men who have made it into the math history charts. If it were not for these men, math would not be the same as it is today. There would be so many things that we have not been able to understand. The world and its functions would still be a mystery. Gravity is something that most people take for granted. If it was not for English Sir Issac Newton (1642-1727) we would be lost. Newton is bound to be one of the most famous mathematicians in the math and physics worlds. For he is the one who watched an apple fall from a tree and automatically created the laws of gravity. Of course, this is not exactly how it happened, but it may just be one of the most minimal definitions of Newton's forever known discovery.

To many, he is known to be a mathematician but because of his genius abilities, he was able to know “mathematics, optics, dynamics, thermodynamics, acoustics and celestial mechanics”. He is most famous for his Three Laws of Motion, which are the laws of inertia, force, and reciprocal action. Unlike many mathematicians in the past, he was one of the ones who also credited his work to others who had studied the same material before him. He has created various theorems that are still used to this day. A very popularly known theorem that is used is his equation: e^x = ∑ x^k / k!. (I would not know where start). People argue that this may be one of the “most important series in mathematics”. Newton was also the first man to ever understand the motion of the planets and more importantly, why their movement occurred. His calculations of the moon and sun seem as if they were too good to be true. He explains and describes all of his thoughts and final theorems in his book, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, talking about the motion of planets; it was published in 1687. He goes into detail about his three Laws of Motion and the Law of Universal Gravitation.

http://fabpedigree.com/james/mathmen.htm

Blaise Pascal was a young mathematician from France. He began his mathematical adventure as a child studying geometry. He was not only a mathematician but, he was very educated in physics and mechanics. Throughout his live, he suffered health disadvantages which stopped him from possibly becoming one of the greatest of all time. It was a gift that Pascal started working with numbers at a young age. The name 'Pascal' may sound familiar to students because of the math-made-simple miracle known as Pascal's Triangle. Pascal's Triangle is a math helper that associates with so many patterns. It was first developed by the Chinese, but Pascal was the one who found all of its importance.

This is a sight that describes many of the functions of Pascal's triangle: http://ptri1.tripod.com/

If you thought that there were only a few patterns to this triangle, think again and check out this website because there are so many interesting ways to use that you probably did not know.

There is no question about it, I hate Math.

Do you hate math? If you do, you are not alone. You are among the many people who would agree with you. There are multiple subjects that students are required to take during their years of schooling. Some of the topics that are necessary for you to take are science classes, most likely a history course along the way, English, and the hasty subject, math. Why is math so painful to students? One may argue that there is no real explanation for it and the explanation can not be proven. But isn't science the same way? There is not an explanation for everything. Although, there are some practices in science that have been proven that you can not argue with, such as photosynthesis, the three laws of motion and gravity. But in math, how can we be sure that the number “pi” doesn't end, or how about the number known as “e”? 'This might lead people to think that because they do not understand one type of math, or one concept, how would they ever be able to understand anything else. Because they do not understand certain concepts, and feel like they aren't able to learn new concepts because the previous concepts are not clear.'

Like most things, there is usually an easier way to get around it by a different learning style. If people wanted to take the extra time and think of alternative ways to learning a type of math, they would probably understand better and even begin to like it.

Spending “hours pouring over questions that make little sense” is something that all mathematicians have done to become successful. Not all people find math as a difficult task, like Mae McSweeny. In her document, she does provide the information from an unofficial survey taken that seventy percent of the “worlds school children claimed to hate maths”. Just from this little bit of information, I wonder how people were questioned in this survey and how it would relate to the world population. She also says that “in Ireland, Maths has the highest failure rate of any subject at school-leaving level”.

http://scienceray.com/mathematics/why-do-people-hate-math/

Again, the question is, why do people hate math so much? Another reason may be because of the teacher. After reading multiple articles, including Mae McSweeny's, they say that they can blame the teachers for having a great influence on the student's liking for mathematics. If students go through a year of having a bad math teacher, or multiple years of bad teachers, they are less likely to follow the teachers teaching methods, or enjoy the class. I have had this experience multiple times during my years of high school. For example, I have been told that physics was a very interesting course and that it would help me understand more of the mathematical side of things in the world. Which for some reason I was interested about. Then, I met my teacher. My whole thought process of wanting to learn physics turned completely off, I automatically hated from the first day. The class was horrible because I was not able to grasp the teacher's concepts, ways of teaching, for he only had one way to describe anything topic, and on top of it all, I was the only girl in a classroom full of rowdy boys.

Mathophobia?

    On the second day of class of MAT107, we were given a test. None of the students were aware that they were going to be given a test on this day, nor did we know what was going to be on it. As the suspense built among the curious minds of students, we were told that we could turn over our tests. To our surprise, the test was entitled: Quiz: Are You A Mathophobe? Personally, I was in utter confusion, I asked myself, “what is a mathophobe?”

    The questions that were printed onto the front page were of personal questions. Yet again I was confused, but this time I did not know why I was being asked about my “math information”. There were silly questions such as your feelings about taking the quiz, remembering phone numbers, and math participation. It turned out, these were questions that were testing the amount of fear I had when it came to math, known as mathophobia. My results stated that math was in my comfort zone, following it gave a short explanation of what my supposed feelings are about math. So apparently, after using these statistics, I am not a mathophobe.

    I visited multiple sites about mathophobia. I tried to find the number of people who were mathophobes, but I was unable to do so. But I did find a lot of interesting information. A document written by Diane Resek and William H. Rupley contains facts about people who were classified to have mathophobia. It mentions people who are very educated in certain areas are more likely to struggle in subjects related to math; there are fewer people who have the “mysterious insight who 'get it'”. According to Lazarus, he defines mathophobia as “an irrational and impeditive dread of mathematics”. This sounds like something I would not want to be familiar with in any way. Meaning it sounds horrible, like an unsolvable math function that you have been working on for days to finally realize the product is undefined.


http://www.jstor.org/pss/3482291

    While searching, I also found a woman's blog about mathophobia, but this blog is concerning mathophia for children. In her first paragraph she goes on to say that there is a time and age to start learning how to walk, how to read, how to ride a bike, ect.. Then she states, when but is it the time to learn math, and for that matter, create a mathophobia? Looking back on my experiences with math, I was never afraid of math. I always enjoyed getting all of the right answers on tests, raising my hand in class and shouting the answer to the class. It never was a problem for me.

    I helped student teach and worked with students this past year in a kindergarten classroom in the elementary school in my school district. Some of the days, we worked with math, using math squares, like the ones we used in class to learn the basic rules of bases, and other counting materials. There were some children who were very strong in this subject, but there were others who shied away from the crowd when it was time for a math session. So, even at this age, there were students who were not willing to learn math and wanted nothing to do with it. A few students even became frustrated because they were unable to keep up with the rest of the class. I wonder if the students who were reluctant to learn math will eventually create a mathophobia?


http://moreofamom.com/2008/07/20/math-club-the-cure-for-mathophobia/