STEM - how early is too early?

[Milchshake]

Math will always be something of an abstract concept, more so as you get into higher levels. There will always be some people that just "dont have a head" for it. Its not about them "liking" math, they will simply struggle to add meaning to the abstract concepts.
Then you consider that math is essentially the foundation for all of STEM, these people will simply struggle with them all.

I mean not everyone will be able to hit a 90mph fastball. You can spend hours coaching proper swing technique, but it just doesnt happen for everyone. At some level you just need the visual acuity and reflexes to pull it off.

[Puupi]

I mean not everyone will be able to hit a 90mph fastball. You can spend hours coaching proper swing technique, but it just doesnt happen for everyone. At some level you just need the visual acuity and reflexes to pull it off.

Or luck! /10chars

[Zhangfei]

Math will always be something of an abstract concept, more so as you get into higher levels. There will always be some people that just "dont have a head" for it. Its not about them "liking" math, they will simply struggle to add meaning to the abstract concepts.
Then you consider that math is essentially the foundation for all of STEM, these people will simply struggle with them all.

I mean not everyone will be able to hit a 90mph fastball. You can spend hours coaching proper swing technique, but it just doesnt happen for everyone. At some level you just need the visual acuity and reflexes to pull it off.

If you are patient with any student they can have a "head" for it. This is only high school mathematics, not quantum physics.

It is the teacher's job to add the "meaning" to the concepts.

[Aleksej89]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is FAR more useful than stuff like history and theology/religion.

Aside from STEM, children should also be taught things like psychology, sociology and philosophy at a much younger age.

However this would make generations of people that actually know how to think and perceive the world around them, so it is absolutely unacceptable to big businesses and their politician puppets.

[Zhangfei]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is FAR more useful than stuff like history and theology/religion.

Define "useful." Knowing religious ideology and history is about understanding culture, people, usually their rights, the law and personal development. It'd be very useful if more Americans had some knowledge of Islam and hadn't supported their leaders murdering hundreds of thousands of people based on knowing nothing about the history of the Middle East and the religious ideals of those present.

[Deleted]

But, how do they teach it? I agree teaching early on is ideal, but I don't want them causing kids to fear these subjects, as commonly seems to happen.

Make it fun is all I remember, I left primary school almost 20 years ago.

[dez1216]

Define "useful." Knowing religious ideology and history is about understanding culture, people, usually their rights, the law and personal development. It'd be very useful if more Americans had some knowledge of Islam and hadn't supported their leaders murdering hundreds of thousands of people based on knowing nothing about the history of the Middle East and the religious ideals of those present.

I imagine it's in reference to things like future careers. I think things like history, theology, psychology and philosophy have their place and are important to have some basic understanding in, but there are very few career paths that are going to think your history degree is a plus.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

No offense, but seeing as the teacher is the one that sees her struggle with it everyday. I would take her word over most others (Not saying a teacher is always right)

While it's nice to say you can do anything as long as you try hard enough. In the real world this doesn't always work out.

Everyone can do high school math if they try hard enough.

[Zhangfei]

I imagine it's in reference to things like future careers. I think things like history, theology, psychology and philosophy have their place and are important to have some basic understanding in, but there are very few career paths that are going to think your history degree is a plus.

That'd be my point - worry about those things for when you are an adult and an age to decide on a career. In American terms, K-12 education should be about giving people a good grounding in everything and being adaptable.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

Define "useful." Knowing religious ideology and history is about understanding culture, people, usually their rights, the law and personal development. It'd be very useful if more Americans had some knowledge of Islam and hadn't supported their leaders murdering hundreds of thousands of people based on knowing nothing about the history of the Middle East and the religious ideals of those present.

I feel like you have a warped view of what happened.

[Milchshake]

If you are patient with any student they can have a "head" for it. This is only high school mathematics, not quantum physics.

It is the teacher's job to add the "meaning" to the concepts.

High School Math is fairly broad, ranging from algebra, trigonometry, to calculus. Each of those have fairly abstract concepts.

You can have all the patience in the world, you still cant teach everyone. I teach industrial design at the college level, and some students just dont have the spatial ability required. After years of teaching, I have all the patience and strategies to help people learn.
Its simply the bell curve, most people can acquire a functional understanding, a very small percentage learn with little instruction require, and a mirror percentage simply dont get it no matter how hard they try.

If you think her high school teacher is low on patience, go measure the patience of her future professors and bosses.

After years of teaching in college and in professional setting you can spot levels of aptitude pretty quickly.

Not everyone is meant for a STEM career, there's plenty of other quality and fulfilling work out there.

[Zhangfei]

I feel like you have a warped view of what happened.

Do I? Obviously I don't actually blame the American people themselves for Bush's immediate decisions, but I do blame the American people for his second term.

Not everyone is meant for a STEM career, there's plenty of other quality and fulfilling work out there.

That's not my argument. Any high schooler can grasp high school maths, it's not insanely difficult. It doesn't mean they should all excel and that everyone could easily get an engineering Masters degree. The cut off at high school is a rational one.

[haxartus]

Higher math is not that difficult either. The most difficult thing you will need to know as an engineer or a computer scientists is probably differential equations, and most university courses don't give you the most diffucult ones.

[lockedout]

Common core. From what I read the math and probably the rest of it is trash. I would never want my children learning that.

[Reeve]

Never too early. I was learning science since I was old enough to ask questions. My father helped me determine the volume of a cylinder when I asked him how much water was in that water tower. He had me reading when I was 3 (or 2.5?). He showed me logic and addition and subtraction and self-improving computer programs when I was 4. It's never too early to start with this stuff, and kids love it. They're little information sponges, and if you encourage rather than discourage their questions, they'll grow to have a love of knowledge and learning.

[Pull My Finger]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is FAR more useful than stuff like history and theology/religion.

Aside from STEM, children should also be taught things like psychology, sociology and philosophy at a much younger age.

However this would make generations of people that actually know how to think and perceive the world around them, so it is absolutely unacceptable to big businesses and their politician puppets.

Well you sure did skip your psychology classes.

[lockedout]

Never too early. I was learning science since I was old enough to ask questions. My father helped me determine the volume of a cylinder when I asked him how much water was in that water tower. He had me reading when I was 3 (or 2.5?). He showed me logic and addition and subtraction and self-improving computer programs when I was 4. It's never too early to start with this stuff, and kids love it. They're little information sponges, and if you encourage rather than discourage their questions, they'll grow to have a love of knowledge and learning.

I agree the earlier the better. When you're young things are just easier to learn especially languages.

[Symphonic]

Common core. From what I read the math and probably the rest of it is trash. I would never want my children learning that.

Wow... it really is ridiculous. I'm trying to do the math problem (the line graph" or whatever) and it makes no sense to me. Isn't subtraction supposed to be simple? subtract the bottom from the top, and if you can't, you borrow from the one next to it, etc. Super easy...

[Reeve]

Common core. From what I read the math and probably the rest of it is trash. I would never want my children learning that.

What the hell is that bullshit? It's like someone has a really bizarre brain out there and assumed that everyone else would benefit by trying to make their brains work in the same way. What is this "common core," where's it from and how can I make sure it stays avoided by any potential progeny I may have?

[Reeve]

Wow... it really is ridiculous. I'm trying to do the math problem (the line graph" or whatever) and it makes no sense to me. Isn't subtraction supposed to be simple? subtract the bottom from the top, and if you can't, you borrow from the one next to it, etc. Super easy...

He skipped a 10 and went straight from the 100s to the 1s. It's still about the most roundabout method to doing a math problem I've seen. I can understand showing a number line when you're first explaining numbers and how base 10 functions, but not to do math.