Published in the Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Steve Dinh
Steve Dinh
I am a Morgan Hill resident who creates tests for the International Mathematical Olympiad, the world championship mathematics competition for high school students from more than 100 countries. As an engineer and computer programmer as well as the author of the book “Narrative Approaches to the International Mathematical Problems,” I have seen how developing an understanding of mathematics is very important for young people. Mathematics is the foundation of science and technology.
Mathematics has helped improve our lives by giving us the benefits of healthcare to entertainment, from exploring space to designing our digital communications. Without the concepts of mathematics, scientists could not have designed medical machines such as pacemakers or insulin pumps to help prolong our lives. Without mathematics, we would not have smartphones and would never have built the Internet.
Unfortunately, many students in Morgan Hill classrooms, as well as schools across America, struggle in the process of learning mathematical skills. Our education system needs to adapt to teach students mathematics more effectively. One of the reasons students are ineffective in learning mathematics is because they failed to comprehend the basic principals in their earlier years. This leads to poorer skills and a lack of confidence in learning math. The students often give an excuse for not learning math by saying it is “lifeless and unattractive.” Children find math to be boring and have difficulty motivating themselves to do their homework, which earns them lower math grades. To fix this, teachers should organize their teaching methods to stimulate the interest of students, avoiding and omitting monotonous and tedious details at school whenever possible. Teachers should listen to what students have to say and assess their interactions with mathematical development, and find techniques that can help them understand difficult math concepts.
Many students who have entered grade-level mathematics are already struggling. Some find it really challenging, but that does not reflect their potential. It is the responsibility of a teacher to show the path for the students who have challenging experiences in learning math, and to provide the proper learning environment for them as soon as possible.
Mark H. Karwan, the dean of engineering and applied science at the University of Buffalo, New York, said that parental attitude — positive or negative — can affect much of children’s attitudes toward learning mathematics. Parents who encourage their children to actively learn math skills will give their children more opportunities in life.
When encountering a difficult problem, math solvers need to stay calm and remember that a difficult problem is a combination of many simple and easier problems. The students need to break the problem into simpler parts that can be solved using logic and principals. The students also need to have patience. It is important for students to not “belittle” the easier problems because they need to work on them to help solidify and build their knowledge with the basic math theorems. The foundation of mathematics is built on basic knowledge. Sometimes the children memorize the math fundamentals but do not know how to apply them to the assignments. Only consistent practice with math will help them see the details and connect all the pieces together to solve difficult problems.
Let’s also debunk the myth that if a student cannot do math well, he or she is not intelligent. There are many false beliefs about math such as if a person is not naturally gifted, then no matter how hard he studies, he could never do better. Or guys always do math better than girls. Or Asians are often good at math. (Asian students often do better at mathematics because they are under the pressure from their parents to get good grades, especially in math, and a few are just doing it to please their parents.) These myths are dangerous and discourage students from learning math. They also thwart the creativity and enthusiasm of educators who teach mathematics.
In her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” Carol Dweck described two schools of thought in learning mathematics. The first group includes those educators with sticky, rigid and conservative thinking who believe that everyone is born with a certain degree of intelligence and therefore he cannot change his or her ability to do math. They believe that math talent is a natural gift. The second group of educators believe math skills and intelligence develop with experience and practice.
These two beliefs have a powerful influence on the path of learning. The development-minded people often persist and take the success of others as a source of encouragement. However, the conservative minded group often try to avoid facing challenging problems or issues at any price and are afraid of making mistakes.
Everyone can do math better when they try. Teachers should monitor the progress of students and give them this feedback. Teachers need to encourage students and never just give them easy exercises, but encourage them to solve difficult problems. The teachers need to instruct students to not avoid mistakes in attempting to solve a math equation. Students need to discover that mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process. Ultimately, mathematics is not just about solving equations. It also helps students build their logical thinking ability, which enhances their quality of life and makes them better citizens.
Steve Dinh trains local students to compete in math competition. He wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
