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In the discussion thread: Andrew Hacker: Is Algebra Necessary? (PUUUUUUUUKE) [View all]

Sun Jul 29, 2012, 02:56 PM

msongs (30,496 posts)

1. except as an elective Algebra is pretty much useless for many students...

unless one is going into a field of study where algebra actually has a use, its a waste of time, unless one enjoys solving problems and puzzles. Great for an academic exercise, an elective, a few months tour of the math world. Real world useful? Not so much. Does keep a lot of academics employed though.

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67 replies	Author	Time	Post
Andrew Hacker: Is Algebra Necessary? (PUUUUUUUUKE) [View all]	alp227	Jul 2012	OP
except as an elective Algebra is pretty much useless for many students...	msongs	Jul 2012	#1
False. Try, for instance, grasping the calculation of compound interest on a bank loan for a home..	lastlib	Jul 2012	#4
Maybe. But students who don't tackle those subjects may be shutting doors prematurely.	pnwmom	Jul 2012	#6
I practiced math until I	CRK7376	Aug 2012	#57
I know there are people like you because my sister is one of them.	pnwmom	Aug 2012	#60
Math is part of a broad liberal arts education	exboyfil	Jul 2012	#7
+1	proud2BlibKansan	Jul 2012	#11
That's a crock.	Daemonaquila	Jul 2012	#8
Algebra won't help them make change.	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#18
plenty of jobs require you to find an unknown quantity. like a number of hospital jobs, for example	HiPointDem	Jul 2012	#37
I agree	2pooped2pop	Aug 2012	#51
As a Nurse....	AnneD	Feb 2013	#63
are you kidding?	trixie	Mar 26	#65
So who is this brain-fart-from-hell, anyway? Without my training in math....	lastlib	Jul 2012	#2
I don't think his argument is that you shouldn't have taken it, or	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#19
I don't write for a living, so why take English?	Confusious	Jul 2012	#30
You are making it too binary and simplistic.	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#42
?!	Confusious	Jul 2012	#47
Grunting and bartering 101	Democracyinkind	Feb 2013	#62
I most certainly do care about their outcome.	lastlib	Jul 2012	#44
I don't think that logical, disciplined thinking has to hinder the creative process.	pnwmom	Aug 2012	#61
The language of science........	suston96	Jul 2012	#3
Figures a "soft science," ( I say that loosely	Confusious	Jul 2012	#5
Yes. Of course. Hard science is the only true test of intelligence.	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#20
Algebra doesn't qualify as "hard science"	Confusious	Jul 2012	#23
Your attitude toward the "soft sciences"	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#24
Just chomping at the bit, aren't you	Confusious	Jul 2012	#25
Since I was organizing my collection	Confusious	Jul 2012	#26
Nice math library....	xocet	Aug 2012	#48
I think Mr. Hacker's Supposition is Completely Off-Base	dballance	Jul 2012	#9
English vs. Math different argument	Genghis_Sean	Aug 2012	#53
Interestingly Enough Writing and Comprehension were important at my "technical" University	dballance	Aug 2012	#54
thats just it	trixie	Mar 26	#66
This is a crosspost from the Onion, right?	mbperrin	Jul 2012	#10
Your last sentence	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#21
I would invite you to room 160 at Odessa High School for any class period after school starts on	mbperrin	Jul 2012	#36
The issue I'm working on as school starts this fall	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#41
I do it at the end of the first week of class.	mbperrin	Jul 2012	#43
This English major took up through Calc II.	knitter4democracy	Jul 2012	#12
Bizarre	pokerfan	Jul 2012	#13
I taught math for many years. During that time, I never promoted the view	struggle4progress	Jul 2012	#14
I get the same comments about English.	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#22
No doubt you do get similar idiotic remarks about English. But I'm not about to make	struggle4progress	Jul 2012	#45
I am not against the broad exposure. I think it is important.	Goblinmonger	Jul 2012	#46
How about this argument....	xocet	Aug 2012	#49
+1. Every kid should know the basics of everything. Math, art, music, science, history, PE,	HiPointDem	Jul 2012	#39
I find it interesting that math and music go hand in hand	trixie	Mar 26	#67
Better ways to change math education	RobertAustin	Jul 2012	#15
Math has never	CRK7376	Aug 2012	#58
More so than memorizing multiplication tables...	ehrnst	Jul 2012	#16
It drives me crazy that my middle school students come to me with no mental math skills.	LWolf	Jul 2012	#17
No.	Igel	Jul 2012	#29
imo going to calculators immediately = fake education. for math-minds who intuitively grasp the	HiPointDem	Jul 2012	#40
The Beauty of Algebra.	mia	Jul 2012	#27
We wouldn't want to challenge students!	liberal N proud	Jul 2012	#28
Ugh... algebra is painfully easy...	Lemonwurst	Jul 2012	#31
Plus, searching for the unknown can be lots of fun.	mia	Jul 2012	#34
ugh math hard	d_r	Jul 2012	#32
my mind does`t compute algerbra	madrchsod	Jul 2012	#33
See? You DO understand algebra.	mbperrin	Aug 2012	#56
No. It's not.	Igel	Jul 2012	#35
"He learned it in application". I had a similar experience. The way i was taught math was very	HiPointDem	Jul 2012	#38
Necessary?	ICDpress	Aug 2012	#50
(x² + y²)² = (x² - y²)² + (2xy)² Solve it, or else.	DetlefK	Aug 2012	#52
my GOOD experience with algebra	skippercollector	Aug 2012	#55
Lots of good points in all	CRK7376	Aug 2012	#59
Seems pretty obvious that political science is certainly a waste of time and energy.	mbperrin	Feb 2013	#64

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