That's what Méxican engineer Nahúm Correa believes.
He has developed a technique
- MetroMatemáticas - that teaches algebra, geometry and calculus to students. Correa uses laboratory methods instead of rote learning to engage and excite students, motivating them to learn mathematics.
The photo shows two Méxican middle school students in Guaymas, México, working on a geometry problem.
His method has been so successful that it has attracted funding to establish laboratories and train teachers, Méxicans and Americans alike. Funding has come from the government and private industry.
Tucson's Sunnyside Unified School District is very interested in Correa's approach and is seeking to implement it in the district.
Want to learn more? Read Gabriela Rico's article in today's Arizona Daily Star.
Here is a PDF: Download ADS_Math_Method_30Dec2012.
The photo is by her from her article.
This sounds like something that we need to consider. If you know of other new methods, please let me know. I'm sure a number of people are working on this issue.
As someone who struggled with differential equations until I retook a course in ODEs in graduate school that was taught by an applied mathematician/physicist who made the subject 'come alive', I can relate to bored students grappling with mathematics. I wound up with a PhD minor in math.
Thanks to Barney Popkin for sending this my way.
"I always liked math, but I didn't understand how it related to real life. Now I feel curious. … I want to know more." - Marla Acuña Muñoz, 14 (from the article)
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