BY PAULINE CHOW
Math is a four-letter word — in a bad way — for many people in the United States, who seem to have a complete aversion to it.
I keep wondering what is so scary about the subject matter.
I am thinking about this especially now because math education from K-12 to college is a hot topic nationwide.
Everyone from President Obama and superintendents of school districts to college presidents are discussing its importance. It is an even hotter topic for math educators around the country.
When I heard people say “I don’t do math” 30 years ago, I thought they meant they didn’t do calculus.
When I started teaching at Harrisburg Area Community College, I realized that they meant pretty much any math.
We have more and more students coming to our college who are placed into developmental math courses that provide the foundation of the college math and science courses. Some students are successful and move on to their intended area of study. Others are not.
On the first day of class, I always ask students about their prior math experiences. More than half of my students, especially those in developmental math classes, express frustration in learning math. They say they are easily overwhelmed by it, struggle a lot, have math anxiety or simply dislike math.
In 15 weeks and 150 minutes per week, I not only teach the required material, but also have to work with students to get over that hump of math fear and achieve mastery of the subject matter.
It is a daunting job.
How can I turn a group of high-maintenance ducklings, as I fondly call my students, into swans at the end of the 15 weeks? I tell them the answer is teamwork.
Math is like a language. You first learn to read the text and use the proper terms. Then you learn to understand the theory behind the concept of solving or simplifying, build and connect concepts, understand the meaning of the solution and the relevancy of the related application. Getting a number is not the goal. More importantly, they need to learn to take notes and essentially start writing their own math book.
For example, if you learn how to solve 2x + 1 = 5, then you ought to understand the concept of solving ax + b = c, with a, b and c as real number. That means solving 2.56x + 3.45 = 23.93 will be the same process.
Throughout the last three decades, math instruction has gone through many technological changes and transformations. Now we have courses taught in traditional, hybrid and online formats.
In the classroom, we use graphing calculators and software programs. Smartroom technology captures classroom lectures, explores the Internet or accesses publisher websites for instructional and learning resources.
Publishers also have stepped up, developing textbooks with websites providing extensive online homework for studying and comprehensive course management systems. Students have access to free resources such as video lectures of selected topics in the texts, unlimited practice using algorithmically generated online exercises, study plans, etc.
In addition, there is a tremendous wealth of free resources on the Web: Surf YouTube for “how to solve linear equations,” google “how to solve quadratic equations,” browse iTunesU for podcasts, speak to the iPhone, “What is the integral of tangent?” or “What is the integral of x squared from 2 to 3?” or get an answer for almost any math expression or equation entered into www.wolframalpha.com/examples/Math.html.
I do see many ducklings turn into swans. One student, Charles, was placed into intermediate algebra after years away from school and studying, and worked his way through by taking online math classes and by constantly asking questions. Now he is a student majoring in computer science with a minor in math at a local state college.
Lynette started with pre-algebra. With perseverance, single-mindedness and a goal of wanting to succeed despite personal hardship, she completed differential equations and a bachelor degree in biology.
With all the available resources, students should take ownership of learning math and go beyond the classroom instead of having a fear of the subject matter.
Pauline Chow is a senior professor of mathematics and chairwoman of the department at HACC. email@example.com.