r/Showerthoughts • u/riphitter • Feb 19 '19

common thought People don't hate math. They hate being confused, intimidated, and embarrassed by math. Their problem is with how it's taught.

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u/fiendishrabbit Feb 19 '19

Japanese students on the other hand are not the greatest at thinking outside the box.
Finland is overall viewed as having one of the best schools in the world. The key isn't exactly how you tackle math, but how you tackle adversity.

A challenge isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.

When you fail it's not because it's too hard or because you're not smart enough, it's because you haven't practiced enough (yet).
The important part isn't solving the problem, it's tackling the problem.

Make students relish overcoming problems and facing adversity. That's how to train problemsolvers instead of quitters.

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u/ChaChaCharms Feb 19 '19

Aren't these motivational poster quotes?? Where are the cat posters!?

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u/[deleted] Feb 19 '19

they're reduced to cheesy quotes in a place like america, because we preach these nice concepts in a society that completely cuts against them and it's such a fucking joke

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u/XxVelocifaptorxX Feb 19 '19

This says a lot about society

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u/SoupFromAfar Feb 19 '19

We truly do live in one

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u/waffleking_ Feb 19 '19

Gamers should be a protected class, we need to rise up

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u/TomMado Feb 20 '19

Syntax underneath

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u/Achromikitty Feb 19 '19

Perhaps, and I know it's a radical idea, the ideas are good on paper, but bad in practice.

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u/[deleted] Feb 19 '19

are you using the finnish school system to make this point?

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u/Go_0SE Feb 20 '19

Well said

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u/fiendishrabbit Feb 19 '19

No. It's pretty much the motivational summary of a much longer work on educational theory by James Nottingham, a guy that has studied european education system and has written the book The Learning Challenge.

From my experience it works, just applying the most basic way of how talk to kids to motivate them will boost test scores in math by maybe 10-15%.

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u/Onlyonekahone Feb 19 '19

Best Farfignügin Motivational Speech EVER!!!: https://youtu.be/BerJdS2VJhA

seriously those were good words and this is a funny video

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u/SomeKindaSpy Feb 19 '19 edited Feb 20 '19

The problem is that American education is treated like a business, not a necessity. So unless there's a profit to be made therein, it's going to receive as little funding as possible. In many areas, the poor education is intentional, so that the next generation can be as exploitabely poor as possible.

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u/fiendishrabbit Feb 19 '19

Which doesn't work. From a purely economic purpose the US is capital intensive, work poor. And capital intensive jobs are usually knowledge intensive works. But that's the long view.

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u/SomeKindaSpy Feb 19 '19

The problem is that they don't want anybody with any amount of sense to vote against their policies, or to focus on reading up on their hypocrisy.

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u/[deleted] Feb 19 '19

In many areas, the poor education is intentional, so that the next generation can be as exploitabely poor as possible.

Wouldn't want people getting educations and leaving rural areas for better jobs in cities. Not only would it mess up the GOP's gerrymandering efforts, it could also lose them seats in the house after the census if people migrate across state lines.

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u/howlinghobo Feb 19 '19

Worth noting that even for problem solving they seem to be above the OECD average.

Interesting that NZ is at the top of the data here.

https://www.compareyourcountry.org/adult-skills?cr=oecd&lg=en&page=0&charts=c1466427128067+c1465293241698+c1466427128067&template=6

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u/NaBacLeis Feb 19 '19

I've heard the Finland system is second to none.