>What if we could train ourselves to think like Einstein?
The answer is that we can, and the method is right in front of us: Mathematics. Though many people have either forgot or never understood it, there's a good reason that math is one of the core subjects we learn. It teaches us to think. Understanding and doing real, advanced, mathematics forces you to think creatively and critically, not to mention reasoning logically. Relentless practice and study of Math creates that creative and critical filter in your brain. In short, it forces you to think.
That's why every time I hear of a teacher teaching math as rote memorization of steps or symbol manipulation with no regard to the structure and meaning of a question or concept, I get physically upset. They're completely taking the thinking out of it. It's like taking a reading class, but only making it a requirement to move your eyes over the words.
It really works me up that the not-so-secret to healthy creative and critical thought is being locked away in the marginalization of students who can't or won't do pointless tasks like factoring polynomials for the sake of knowing the steps. As if that weren't enough, those students then turn into parents and teachers who push on to the next generation the broken concept of math that was fed to them.
What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, math is awesome.
The answer is that we can, and the method is right in front of us: Mathematics. Though many people have either forgot or never understood it, there's a good reason that math is one of the core subjects we learn. It teaches us to think. Understanding and doing real, advanced, mathematics forces you to think creatively and critically, not to mention reasoning logically. Relentless practice and study of Math creates that creative and critical filter in your brain. In short, it forces you to think.
That's why every time I hear of a teacher teaching math as rote memorization of steps or symbol manipulation with no regard to the structure and meaning of a question or concept, I get physically upset. They're completely taking the thinking out of it. It's like taking a reading class, but only making it a requirement to move your eyes over the words.
It really works me up that the not-so-secret to healthy creative and critical thought is being locked away in the marginalization of students who can't or won't do pointless tasks like factoring polynomials for the sake of knowing the steps. As if that weren't enough, those students then turn into parents and teachers who push on to the next generation the broken concept of math that was fed to them.
What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, math is awesome.