Found this great maths book...I reccomend

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MimiTa
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:52 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by MimiTa »

I am foreign to the UK,European though, and a lot of maths terminology we had is very different from the UK terminology. We also say "fourths" instead of quarter and I was very surprised to hear some UK maths terminology,laughed when I first heard it as it was so strange. I've even had to use a dictionary and look for examples to see what is what as I was often mystified.
That does not stop me from working with my children,in English,or even having friends round for a group study for 11+ with their children once and they are originally Latin American,African and British. It is amazing how different the terminology can be and we'd say "But in my language we say this,not that" and they'd say "Really?" and tell us their version and we had great fun. Most of the world says "fourths" though. The main thing is that the core concept of maths is the same,we do everything the same way,have the same topics. I am used to different terminology and am totally fine with it. I watch various Youtube videos from all around the world and the accent or terminology is never an issue for me as long as I understand how to solve the problem in question. My children are also used to it and it does not bother them. They know various terminology now. Also,grammar schools prepare for top careers and many come with travel,why not know various global terminology?
There are tens of thousands of foreign parents around the UK-Indian,Pakistani,Chinese,Eastern European,African....preparing their children for 11+ and the children passing the test despite the parents having strong accents,wobbly English and different maths terminology. I personally know quite a few of them as several foreign children from my kids' schools get into grammar schools every year,most taught by their parents as well as tutors.Foreign terminology certainly does not hurt them.
So I genuinely cannot understand what the fuss is all about regarding Khan academy or any other foreign maths website. It is like American and British English,you certainly understand each other and it does not harm you to know both terms of one word. It is even more exciting!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by Guest55 »

Surely you don't condone errors though?

There are plenty of sites written to complement the way maths is taught now; why use the second-rate?
russet
Posts: 243
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:46 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by russet »

I don't think Khan Academy using trapezoid rather trapezium, or fourths rather than quarters will put me off, but thanks for pointing it out. I agree Hegartymahts is also excellent.

One other thing is exponents or indices. So I like how the New Zealand guy on Maths Centre mentioned they were called both and powers , thus covering all bases, before covering bases.

As I said before, Khan Academy do not condone errors, to the extent they welcome people writing in to correct them.
Last edited by russet on Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Catseye
Posts: 1824
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2014 6:03 pm
Location: Cheshire

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by Catseye »

MimiTa wrote:There are tens of thousands of foreign parents around the UK-Indian,Pakistani,Chinese,Eastern European,African....preparing their children for 11+ and the children passing the test despite the parents having strong accents,wobbly English and different maths terminology. I personally know quite a few of them as several foreign children from my kids' schools get into grammar schools every year,most taught by their parents as well as tutors.Foreign terminology certainly does not hurt them.
Such a good post it needed to be repeated twice -at least :D

Maths upto A level and most degree level has not changed for hundreds of years,cutting edge Mathematics or even Physics has not changed for almost hundred year, the whole of the Standard Particle Theory Model and Quantum Mechanics was formulated in the 1920's and Special and General theory of Relativity in now more than a hundred years old.

String Theory and M theory are still just conjectures.

Algebra,Calculus and Geometry has not changed since Newton's time.

I'm not even a scientist/mathematician but an average(at best) village idiot.
MimiTa
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:52 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by MimiTa »

Guest55 wrote:Surely you don't condone errors though?

There are plenty of sites written to complement the way maths is taught now; why use the second-rate?

Maths is maths,I see it is no different now than when i was a child. We did the same things the same way,apart from the new UK number division that is unnecessary,in my opinion. They learn both anyway. The result of various maths problem is always the same. You can find people from abroad explaining more clearly and simply in some cases,so I truly see no issue in terminology at all and have seen no major differences in ways of doing things.
As for the errors,they can happen and do happen and you can let them know to fix it.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by Guest55 »

Sorry I totally disagree with you - maths is taught in a very different way now. Children have to understand not mechanically reproduce example after example without thinking.

Even the way ideas are explained and children are expected to explore and discuss are very different.

I've studied maths pedagogy for many years and teaching is far better now - maths is creative and always changing.
MimiTa
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:52 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by MimiTa »

Guest55 wrote:Sorry I totally disagree with you - maths is taught in a very different way now. Children have to understand not mechanically reproduce example after example without thinking.

Even the way ideas are explained and children are expected to explore and discuss are very different.

I've studied maths pedagogy for many years and teaching is far better now - maths is creative and always changing.
You still come to the same result no matter what language you use it. For many,it will always be purely mechanical and few people will feel the need to talk Mills and Boon about maths.
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by BucksBornNBred »

Guest55 wrote:There are plenty of sites written to complement the way maths is taught now; why use the second-rate?
I can tell from your posts that you are a very professional maths teacher but you can't agree with every change in method that comes along, can you? My particular bugbear was the adherence to gridding and chunking which had/have no place in the curriculum. And if a parent/carer can explain that a fourth is a quarter then surely these sites can do no harm. (disclaimer: I have not been able to visit Khan Academy as it wants me to identify myself and register which I will not do)
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by Guest55 »

I actually love the grid method as it links to algebra. I use it in KS3 for expaning brackets, in KS4 for explaining completing the square and it's brilliant in KS5 for factorising polynomials - much easier than algebraic division.

Good mathematicians need to be open to new approaches and new ways of doing it. A mathematician invented a notation for juggling not that long ago - isn't that brilliant?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20669507" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Clearly the way I teach and learn maths is very different to some posters ...
russet
Posts: 243
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:46 pm

Re: Found this great maths book...I reccomend

Post by russet »

You can just look at the videos without signing in.

I do side with Guest 55 with the new teaching methods. I think they are more intuitive for children to follow and make maths clearer for them.

But I just feel Khan Academy is good also in the clear and relaxed way of explaining difficult ideas. If dd did not understand something, it was always worth a look at KA's take on it.
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