Yeah. It's a shame too. They
"integrate" perfectly together. They do in my brain anyhow
tongue emoticon
Thankfully, they're allowing more and more tools in schools at
younger grades like calculators and computers and smartphones,
so it's getting a LITTLE bit better.
They ALSO learn to do things in their head; and for arithmetic
that's very useful; I don't have a problem with multiplication
tables FIRST being ROTE if that's the best they can do, and if
there's a catchy tune.
Some teachers are using Minecraft to help teach Math as well;
visually in much the same way that I was using BASIC. Now that
BASIC is long dead and passe as an active language, Python has
basically replaced it, being _nearly_ (not quite) as simple to
use as BASIC and possibly more powerful.
Also, in the USA at least, this might be ONE nice benefit of the
new push for STEM, mixing together the physical sciences (not
all the sciences), Technology, Engineering and Mathematics into
a single "group": It allows a little more flexibility in
teaching methodologies.
So, for all my ranting about STEM, I think that perhaps I should
stand behind it because I did my own mixture of Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics and Art integration at home by
myself.
I just saw it as a way to draw a square. The math learning was a
side-effect.
I think if I was to teach mathematics, I'd likely use Microsoft
Excel. Spreadsheets do math very well, and everything is exposed
and bare.
It's simple to learn, easy to use, you never lose ANYTHING and
there's no compilation. You just punch in the formula and BOOM,
done. Show you work? It's already there. I did ok in Trig but by
Calculus I was bored of school and didn't care. It was like the
same 12 damn programs over and over again, but they used this
ridiculous written language I didn't like but mostly, I just had
fun and floated through senior year.
