tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304900740955463233.post6412257852703935103..comments2024-03-26T16:28:32.073-07:00Comments on SKrashen: Four years of math?skrashenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02243115140886175946noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304900740955463233.post-20954266927507266172014-05-06T10:46:55.308-07:002014-05-06T10:46:55.308-07:00Stephen, I love your personal note here about lovi...Stephen, I love your personal note here about loving math. This highlights a danger that can occur from forcing all these rigorous standards on children. You can force them to learn "non-trivial" math etc. but what if after being through all that forcing they decide they hate math and want nothing to do with it. I knew someone who's brother discovered that his daughter had a talent for piano. So he and his wife signed her up for lessons and forced her to practice two hours every night. She became a very skilled pianist. However, something interesting happened we she left for college. On the day that she was leaving home she told her parents that she intended to never touch the piano again. Her parents were shocked and asked her why. She replied that after being forced to do it for so long she hated it and had absolutely no desire to play. Often when the parents just allow the children to follow their own interests it allows the children to preserve a positive relationship with learning, which is the true secret to academic achievement, in my opinion - just like you, Stephen, with your "fun" high math electives. The truth that a lot of these people don't get is that the kids, at some point or another, will be free to choose and if you've made the experience negative and pressure-filled they might be more likely to choose against what we hope. You can lead a horse....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com