Re: What Went Wrong with New Math?


"W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:X0Rme.2924$s64.76@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Yes, what did go wrong? I believe that got rolling in the 70s but
somewhere a
> long the line went out of style. Did something replace it?
>
>
> --
> Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
> (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
> Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
>
> "The easiest way to refold a road map is differently."
> --Jones's Rule of the Road
>
> Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>

We got New Maths in the UK in the 70s. 'SMP' (School Maths Project) I should
have been wary with the word project in the title. The experiment of some
radical thinking do-gooders. I think it was supposed to be part of the
Hippy-cool, trendy 70s. I learn't (well, I was taught at least) sets,
matrices, knots, graph theory. Got to Sixth form, I was the class maths
dunce in the first term and basics like algebra were sorely missing. All the
others from supposedly 'backward' thinking schools new (and understood) the
basics and easily grasped calculus etc; I went to remedial classes! The
shame of it all. Anyway, good ole sixth form taught us all the basics and in
later years I was equipped to handle the new maths. I reversed my
bad-fortune and got class swot, top grades.

But New Maths crucified my early education, hindered me several years. In
hindsight, with a degree, the subject matter was not irrelevant for further
mathematical study, but simply useless pre 16 years old.

In short, it was bloody useless to me and several thousand others and a
complete waste of time.

RJM



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Poorly taught physics to blame for lack of understanding of car electricals?
    ... >>> mentioned at the academic level. ... >> fact I mentioned practical applications of both those systems to the ... Maths made A levels scary but I left for college after one term. ... >>> nothing even covered alternators at all, only the basics of generators. ...
    (uk.rec.cars.maintenance)
  • Re: Quantum Physics for mere humans
    ... > I?m currently in the process of learning the basics of Quantum Physics. ... How do I get a good grounding in Quantum Physics? ... getting the necessary background to understand that maths. ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: UK nursing standards
    ... Seems they learn so much technical jargon that the basics ... My granddaughter is a whizz at maths, ...
    (uk.people.silversurfers)