Mathematics is all around us! At its core, mathematics is the search for patterns along with a deep understanding of how and why they occur. Patterns can be found in architecture, nature, music, and art, just to name a few. In mathematics, you can find various number patterns in Pascal's Triangle. In music, the distance between the two musical notes is an interval. If you have a string and you stretch it out good and tight and pluck it and then divide the string in half and pluck it again, it has the same tone but one octave higher. Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher and mathematician discovered the golden ratio, see the video above. Some say the Greeks intentionally built the Parthenon according to the golden ratio. In the Renaissance era, the golden ratio was identifiable both in the art and architecture of the era. The golden ratio can also be seen today, from the shapes of hurricanes and spiral galaxies, to an elephant’s trunk.. The golden ratio is used today to create art, photography, and buildings that many people consider the most eye-pleasing proportions.
As Albert Einstein once said, "Pure Mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas". However, many of us have anxiety and fear when dealing with math. For many, math is the result of negative or embarrassing experience in the past which lead them to believe that they are not capable of doing math. This then becomes a self-fulling prophecy. There are also many math myths out there today, such as, boys are better than girls when research has not proven this. The belief that there is a best way to do a math problem when in reality there are a number of ways to solve problems. Some believe that you must have a "math mind" in order to succeed in math when in fact anyone can do math. Others believe only a few can be good in math and those that are good in math can do problems in their heads quickly is also false. It is important to have a positive "growth mindset" when working with mathematics. In reality, anyone can be good at math.
Is there a way to reduce the fear many of us have with math? Yes, there is. It all starts with a thought. As Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right". In today's world, being able to collect, interpret, and analyze data is a critical component in making informed life decisions. Therefore, it is necessary to lay the foundation of having a "productive disposition" with mathematics. We need to see math not only as a necessity like reading, writing, and speaking but more importantly, mathematics must be seen as making sense to learn, to be seen as useful, and to be seen as worthwhile. We must see that math is understandable and that it can be learned and used in everyday life. It starts with a thought. If the mindset is positive, mathematics will not be dreaded by many of us and problem solving will be fun !
It starts with a thought . . .
Mr. Gonzalez's Math Class