Gli Americani e la matematica
Nella scuola secondaria pubblica degli USA, è opinione corrente che gli insegnanti di matematica non rendono piacevole agli studenti questa disciplina.
Il New York Times ospita un dibattito, con interventi qualificati, sulle possibili diverse modalità di affrontarne l'insegnamento.
Alcuni esprimono la convinzione che la matematica, piuttosto che ancella e supporto ad altre discipline scientifiche ( fisica, chimica, scienze) o applicazioni , sia bella in sè. E questo dovrebbe essere sufficiente per renderla apprezzabile agli studenti.
Piacevole è anche osservare come alcuni numeri godano di particolari proprietà. Ad esempio, il 2002 è un numero che può leggersi in entrambi i versi. E' cioè palindromo. Il prossimo anno con numero palindromo sarà il 2112. Cioè fra 110 anni.
La medicina sarà in grado di mantenerci in vita a quella data?
January 2,
2002Madam, I'm 2002 — a Numerically Beautiful YearBy ALFRED S. POSAMENTIER
Palindromic numbers are not only pleasing in appearance, but also harbor some nice, curious qualities. For example, take any number, write it in reverse order and add the two numbers. The sum will likely be a palindromic number, and if not, then simply continuing this process by adding the sum to its reverse should eventually lead to a palindromic number. This surprising result is the kind of discovery that can pique interest in numbers even in students indifferent to math. Teachers should be able to capitalize on the beauty in mathematics, and specifically the charm of some numbers to hook students on studying mathematics. But qualified math teachers who might actually inspire children are in short supply, and math teaching in today's schools is often dry and boring. The problem is not new. Math instruction at the elementary school level, when students form their first impressions about the nature of math and their own abilities with numbers, has historically been mediocre. Without a strong beginning, a student's chances for sustaining interest in this field are very small indeed. The problem is compounded by relatively weak teaching at the secondary level as well. A number of quick-fix programs to increase the supply of secondary school math teachers have been put in place around the country through the process of alternative certification. Participants in one such program in New York City function reasonably well, but many also lack the ability to bring to their classes a depth of understanding of math that allows a teacher to do more than merely conform to the prescribed instructional plan. A marginally competent teacher may not necessarily be skilled enough to promote interest in or appreciation for math among students. At a time when there is a national shortage of math teachers, made worse by a low supply of math-prepared students, we must look beyond the quick-fix solutions. We must develop better and more creative training programs for elementary math teachers. We need to give them more classroom time on this subject. And when students begin to pursue the study of math, we must make the teaching profession more attractive, financially as well as by giving teachers more control of how they teach. The point is to make math intrinsically interesting to children. We
should not have to sell mathematics by pointing to its usefulness in other
subject areas, which, of course, is real. Love for math will not come
about by trying to convince a child that it happens to be a handy tool for
life; it grows when a good teacher can draw out a child's curiosity about
how numbers and mathematical principles work. The very high percentage of
adults who are unashamed to say that they are bad with math is a good
indication of how maligned the subject is and how very little we were
taught in school about the enchantment of numbers. Alfred S. Posamentier is professor of mathematics education and dean of the School of Education at City College of the City University of New York. | |||
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