Author: P.NAGA AMRUTHA, Grade – VII, Army Public School, Hyderabad.
Imagine how different our daily landscape would be if mathematics had never come to be. It would mean no time, no calendars, no buildings, no transportation, no recipes etc., the list is supposed to go on and on.
All of the comforts which make our lives what they are today would be no more.
Mathematics has always been a subject of extreme. The word ‘mathematics’ gives terror to most students, whereas there is a small percentage who love it to the core.
National Mathematics Day is celebrated on 22nd December, which is the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan. An Indian mathematician was born, to change the future of maths. He was never formally trained in the subject, yet he became one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
Have you ever heard someone proudly say, “Oh, I don’t do math”? Some people resign themselves to this concept and it becomes a badge they almost wear with pride. But you would never hear people say “Oh, I don’t read” like it’s a good thing. So what is it about maths that makes some people feel like they can exist without it? In this fascinating talk, Emily Calandrelli, who once worked for NASA and as the producer and host of FOX’s Xploration Outer Space, discusses the importance of STEM literacy.
These are some interesting starting points for all of us to consider the importance of mathematics, and not only what it has given us throughout the ages, but also where it will take us in the future. When asked to consider a world without mathematics, no matter who you are, it would require you to give up most of the things in your life that you hold dear.
So the next time you handle money, watch the TV or drive in a car, stop to appreciate numbers, maths and what they’ve given you lately. And of course, spare a thought for maths teachers, who play a truly pivotal role in fostering a love and appreciation of maths within each new generation as they pass through the education system.
The world is interconnected. Everyday math shows these connections and possibilities. The earlier young learners can put these skills into practice, the more likely we will remain an innovative society and economy.
Algebra can explain how quickly water becomes contaminated and how many people in a third-world country drinking that water might become sickened every year. A study of geometry can explain the science behind architecture throughout the world. Statistics and probability can estimate death tolls from earthquakes, conflicts and other calamities around the world. It can also predict profits, how ideas spread, and how previously endangered animals might repopulate. Math is a powerful tool for global understanding and communication. Using it, students can make sense of the world and solve complex and real problems. Rethinking math in a global context offers students a twist on the typical content that makes the math itself more applicable and meaningful for students.
For students to function in a global context, math content needs to help them get to global competence, which is understanding different perspectives and world conditions, recognizing that issues are interconnected across the globe, as well as communicating and acting in appropriate ways. In math, this means reconsidering the typical content in atypical ways, and showing students how the world consists of situations, events and phenomena that can be sorted out using the right math tools.
