• @Loid@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    21 year ago

    So you are telling me that high school math is the equivalent of unlocking the other buttons on a calculator.

    • @captainlezbian
      link
      21 year ago

      Basically yeah. But it’s also the process of learning how to estimate the world in numeric values. Algebra is a form of logic puzzle. It teaches that numbers follow logic and when taught right enforces the fact that math isn’t a rote process.

      High school math is how you learn what 30% off means you pay. High school math is how you learn what 30 degrees is and how far away you missed if you’re 30 degrees off. And high school science should be teaching you significant figures which you combine with math to understand that you’re usually looking not in specifics but in approximates. All of these subjects do interact at points.

      I was raised to be an engineer so I never asked when I’ll use math, but I think the question is bad. It’s not when you’ll use it, it’s how is it changing how you think. Math teaches you to think logically. Science teaches you to think empirically. Literature classes which I never thought I’d use taught me how to think critically. The arts teach you to think creatively. History and social studies teach you to think of the world’s relationships and causes and effects (all while trying to sneak in a basic understanding of how to operate the government that you’re going to be an equal shareholder of). High school is trying to make you into a good member of the democratic population with a variety of mental tools and frameworks at your disposal. The common person had to fight for their children to have this education. It’s valuable and all commoners benefit from all of us having it.