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Science in English, 00. You Are NOT Bad at Math

00. You Are NOT Bad at Math

Intro:

What's the secret to being good at math? If you think it's all about being blessed with good math genes, think again. Read on to find out what being good at math is really all about.

By Jason Marshall, PhD, The Math Dude November 9, 2013.

Transcript

Have you ever heard yourself, your kids, or anybody else utter the words: "I'm bad at math" or "I'm just not a math person?" Of course you have. In fact, I'd guess that all of us have. And that's because this type of thinking has - very, very unfortunately - become the standard way of thinking about math. I recently came across an article published in The Atlantic called The Myth of "I'm Bad at Math," and if you're a parent, an educator, or a student you should definitely read this article. What does it have to say about negative attitudes about math? And how can it help you tap your inner mathematical being? Those are exactly the questions we'll be talking about today. Sponsor: Want to save more, invest for the future, but don't have time to be a full-on investor? Betterment.com helps you build a customized, low-cost portfolio that suits your goals. Sign up at betterment.com/mathdude and receive a $25 bonus when you make a deposit of $250 or more.

You Are NOT Bad at Math

Despite what you might believe, you were not born bad at math. At least that's the premise of a great article from The Atlantic called The Myth of "I'm Bad at Math," and it's a premise with which I completely agree. The article's authors, Professors Miles Kimball of the University of Michegan and Noah Smith of Stony Brooke University, write: "I'm just not a math person. We hear it all the time. And we've had enough. Because we believe that the idea of 'math people' is the most self-destructive idea in America today. The truth is, you probably are a math person, and by thinking otherwise, you are possibly hamstringing your own career. Worse, you may be helping to perpetuate a pernicious myth that is harming underprivileged children—the myth of inborn genetic math ability."

Although I'm not sure if this belief is the "most self-destructive idea in America today," I do agree that it's really, really bad. The authors go on to write:

"Is math ability genetic? Sure, to some degree...[but] for high-school math, inborn talent is much less important than hard work, preparation, and self-confidence."

I know this sounds a little mushy-gushy, but it really is true. If you want to know why I can confidently say that, check out the article—it goes on to describe a bunch of research showing how people come to (falsely) believe that they are mathematically deficient, and how the even more detrimental belief that this perceived deficiency cannot be changed which occurs as a result ends up creating a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy.

Math Is Hard (But So Is Sleeping)

In my mind, the most important line in the article states that "IQ itself can improve with hard work." (Check out the links in the article if you don't believe this!) In other words, learning math—or anything worthwhile—isn't easy. It's not supposed to be! It takes actual work…lots of it. And sure, math is harder for some people than others, but that doesn't mean those people can't do it. This reminds me of helping my 3-month-old daughter learn to sleep. It's been a struggle, to say the least. Until I had a kid, I couldn't have imagined that sleeping was difficult - I love to sleep, I'm pretty good at it, and I actually find it quite easy, thank you very much. But she struggles to go to sleep, then struggles to stay asleep, and finally struggles to fall back asleep when she wakes up after only 15 minutes.

My point is that yes, math is hard, but so is sleeping…at first. It takes work, but eventually we get better at it. The important point is that we have to keep trying and not convince ourselves that we simply can't do it. Again, I know this sounds overly simplistic, but the research described in the article shows that this simple starting point really is the starting point. If we can fix the black hole of math negativity, then we can start to fix math.

Why Is Math Worth Fixing

Which might lead you to wonder: "Why is math worth fixing?" The authors of The Atlantic article address that, too. They write:

"Math skills are increasingly important for getting good jobs these days - so believing you can't learn math is especially self-destructive. But we also believe that math is the area where America's 'fallacy of inborn ability' is the most entrenched. Math is the great mental bogeyman of an unconfident America. If we can convince you that anyone can learn math, it should be a short step to convincing you that you can learn just about anything, if you work hard enough."

I've taught enough math and physics students - of all ability levels - over the years, and I know first-hand that this mental block surrounding mathematical abilities is very real, very destructive, and even debilitating for some people. But I also know first hand that it can be overcome. The first step in overcoming this fear is to realize that you are not alone in "not getting it" - the truth is that nobody "gets it" at first. As Kimball and Smith describe:

"Too many Americans go through life terrified of equations and mathematical symbols. We think what many of them are afraid of is 'proving' themselves to be genetically inferior by failing to instantly comprehend the equations (when, of course, in reality, even a math professor would have to read closely). So they recoil from anything that looks like math, protesting: 'I'm not a math person.' And so they exclude themselves from quite a few lucrative career opportunities. We believe that this has to stop."

I couldn't agree more. How to Heal Math

So, what can be done to heal math? According to Kimball and Smith:

"We have at least one American-style idea for making kids smarter: treat people who work hard at learning as heroes and role models . We already venerate sports heroes who make up for lack of talent through persistence and grit; why should our educational culture be any different?

In the debate between 'nature vs. nurture,' a critical third element - personal perseverance and effort—seems to have been sidelined. We want to bring it back, and we think that math is the best place to start."

What can you do to help heal math? The simplest piece of advice I can give you is to try to avoid talking negatively about math. I know this can be a tough ask for people who have struggled over the years with math, but every time a kid hears a parent or any other adult talking about how hard math is or how "I was never any good at math," a seed is planted in that child's mind that makes him or her wonder if maybe they are bad at math, too. And thus the cycle will be doomed to continue. Let's all agree to help break it. Wrap Up

Okay, that's all we have time for today. I'd be very interested to hear what you guys think about this article and the ideas I've talked about. Please send your thoughts via email to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com.

Please be sure to check out my book The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Guide to Algebra . And remember to become a fan of the Math Dude on Facebook where you'll find lots of great math posted throughout the week. If you're on Twitter, please follow me there, too. Until next time, this is Jason Marshall with The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Math Easier . Thanks for reading, math fans!

Betterment LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Brokerage services are offered by Betterment Securities, an SEC registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Investments are not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Before investing, consider your investment objectives and Betterment's charges and expenses. Not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities in jurisdictions where Betterment and Betterment Securities are not registered.


00. You Are NOT Bad at Math 00. Sie sind NICHT schlecht in Mathematik 00. You Are NOT Bad at Math 00. NO se te dan mal las matemáticas 00. Nie jesteś zły z matematyki 00. Não és mau a matemática 00. Вы НЕ плохи в математике 00. Matematikte Kötü Değilsiniz 00.你的数学并不差

Intro:

What’s the secret to being good at math? Was ist das Geheimnis, um gut in Mathe zu sein? 数学が上手になる秘訣は何ですか? Matematikte iyi olmanın sırrı nedir? If you think it’s all about being blessed with good math genes, think again. Wenn Sie denken, dass es nur darum geht, mit guten mathematischen Genen gesegnet zu sein, denken Sie noch einmal darüber nach. Si cree que se trata de ser bendecido con buenos genes matemáticos, piénselo de nuevo. Her şeyin iyi matematik genleriyle kutsanmış olduğunu düşünüyorsanız, tekrar düşünün. Read on to find out what being good at math is really all about. Matematikte iyi olmanın gerçekte neyle ilgili olduğunu öğrenmek için okumaya devam edin.

By Jason Marshall, PhD, The Math Dude November 9, 2013.

Transcript Стенограмма

Have you ever heard yourself, your kids, or anybody else utter the words: "I’m bad at math" or "I’m just not a math person?" Haben Sie sich, Ihre Kinder oder irgendjemand anderen jemals die Worte sagen hören: „Ich bin schlecht in Mathe“ oder „Ich bin einfach kein Mathe-Mensch“? Of course you have. In fact, I’d guess that all of us have. На самом деле, я бы предположил, что у всех нас. Aslında, hepimizin sahip olduğunu tahmin ediyorum. And that’s because this type of thinking has - very, very unfortunately - become the standard way of thinking about math. 这是因为非常(非常非常不幸)这种类型的思考已成为思考数学的标准方法。 I recently came across an article published in  The Atlantic called The Myth of "I’m Bad at Math," and if you’re a parent, an educator, or a student you should definitely read this article. 我最近遇到了在《大西洋》上发表的一篇名为“我对数学不好的神话”的文章,如果您是父母,教育者或学生,则应该阅读这篇文章。 What does it have to say about negative attitudes about math? 数学に対する否定的な態度について、それは何を言わなければなりませんか? And how can it help you tap your inner mathematical being? そして、それはあなたの内なる数学的存在をどのように活用するのに役立ちますか? И как это может помочь вам задействовать ваше внутреннее математическое существо? Ve içsel matematiksel varlığınıza dokunmanıza nasıl yardımcı olabilir? 它如何帮助您挖掘内在的数学存在? Those are exactly the questions we’ll be talking about today. Sponsor: Want to save more, invest for the future, but don’t have time to be a full-on investor? スポンサー: もっと貯蓄したい、将来のために投資したいが、本格的な投資家になる時間がない? Sponsor: Daha fazla tasarruf etmek, geleceğe yatırım yapmak istiyor, ancak tam yatırımcı olmak için zamanınız yok mu? Betterment.com helps you build a customized, low-cost portfolio that suits your goals. Betterment.com, hedeflerinize uyacak özelleştirilmiş ve düşük maliyetli bir portföy oluşturmanıza yardımcı olur. Sign up at betterment.com/mathdude and receive a $25 bonus when you make a deposit of $250 or more.

You Are NOT Bad at Math

Despite what you might believe, you were not born bad at math. At least that’s the premise of a great article from  The Atlantic  called The Myth of "I’m Bad at Math," and it’s a premise with which I completely agree. The article’s authors, Professors Miles Kimball of the University of Michegan and Noah Smith of Stony Brooke University, write: 文章的作者,密歇根大学的Miles Kimball教授和石溪大学的Noah Smith写道: "I’m just not a math person. "Ben sadece matematik insanı değilim. We hear it all the time. And we’ve had enough. もう十分だ。 Ve biz yetti. Because we believe that the idea of 'math people' is the most self-destructive idea in America today. なぜなら、「数学の人々」という考えは、今日のアメリカで最も自己破壊的な考えであると信じているからです. Çünkü biz “matematik insanları” fikrinin bugün Amerika'daki en çok yıkıcı fikir olduğuna inanıyoruz. The truth is, you probably are a math person, and by thinking otherwise, you are possibly hamstringing your own career. Die Wahrheit ist, dass Sie wahrscheinlich ein Mathematiker sind, und wenn Sie anders denken, behindern Sie möglicherweise Ihre eigene Karriere. Gerçek şu ki, muhtemelen matematiksel bir insansınız ve başka türlü düşünerek, muhtemelen kendi kariyerinizi zorluyorsunuz. Worse, you may be helping to perpetuate a pernicious myth that is harming underprivileged children—the myth of inborn genetic math ability." Schlimmer noch, Sie tragen möglicherweise dazu bei, einen schädlichen Mythos aufrechtzuerhalten, der unterprivilegierten Kindern schadet – den Mythos der angeborenen genetischen mathematischen Fähigkeiten. Daha da kötüsü, imtiyazsız çocuklara zarar veren zararlı bir efsaneyi - doğuştan gelen genetik matematik yeteneğinin efsanesini - sürdürmeye yardımcı olabilirsiniz. ”

Although I’m not sure if this belief is the "most self-destructive idea in America today," I do agree that it’s really, really bad. Her ne kadar bu inancın "bugün Amerika'da en çok yıkıcı fikir" olup olmadığından emin olmasam da, bunun gerçekten, gerçekten kötü olduğuna katılıyorum. 尽管我不确定这种信念是否是“当今美国最具有自我毁灭性的想法”,但我确实同意这是非常非常糟糕的。 The authors go on to write:

"Is math ability genetic? Sure, to some degree...[but] for high-school math, inborn talent is much less important than hard work, preparation, and self-confidence." Sicher, bis zu einem gewissen Grad … [aber] für die Highschool-Mathematik ist angeborenes Talent viel weniger wichtig als harte Arbeit, Vorbereitung und Selbstvertrauen. Elbette, bir dereceye kadar… [ama] lise matematiği için, doğuştan gelen yetenek, sıkı çalışmak, hazırlık yapmak ve kendine güvenmekten çok daha az önemlidir. ”

I know this sounds a little mushy-gushy, but it really is true. Kulağa biraz sarhoş geliyor biliyorum ama bu gerçekten doğru. If you want to know why I can confidently say that, check out the article—it goes on to describe a bunch of research showing how people come to (falsely) believe that they are mathematically deficient, and how the even more detrimental belief that this perceived deficiency cannot be changed which occurs as a result ends up creating a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy. 私が自信を持ってそう言える理由を知りたい場合は、記事をチェックしてください。この記事では、人々が数学的に欠陥があると(誤って)信じるようになる方法と、これがさらに有害であると信じていることを示す一連の研究について説明しています。認識された欠乏は変えることができず、その結果、悪質な自己実現的予言が作成されます。 Bunu neden güvenle söyleyebildiğimi bilmek istersen, makaleyi inceleyin - insanların nasıl matematiksel olarak eksik olduklarına (yanlış) inandıklarını ve bunun nasıl daha da zararlı olduğuna inandıklarını gösteren bir araştırmayı tanımlamak algılanan eksiklik değiştirilemez ve bunun sonucunda kısır bir kendini gerçekleştiren kehanet yaratır.

Math Is Hard (But So Is Sleeping) Matematik Zor (Ama Öyle Uyuyor) 数学很难(但睡觉也是如此)

In my mind, the most important line in the article states that "IQ itself can improve with hard work." Aklımda, makaledeki en önemli satır "IQ'nun kendisinin çok çalışarak gelişebileceğini" belirtiyor. (Check out the links in the article if you don’t believe this!) In other words, learning math—or anything worthwhile—isn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be! Olmaması gerekiyordu! 不应该这样! It takes actual work…lots of it. Asıl işi alır… birçoğunu. And sure, math is harder for some people than others, but that doesn’t mean those people  can’t do it. This reminds me of helping my 3-month-old daughter learn to sleep. Bu bana 3 aylık kızımın uyumayı öğrenmesinde yardımcı olduğumu hatırlatıyor. It’s been a struggle, to say the least. En azından söylemek zor bir mücadele oldu. Until I had a kid, I couldn’t have imagined that sleeping was difficult - I love to sleep, I’m pretty good at it, and I actually find it quite easy, thank you very much. Çocuğum olana kadar uyumanın zor olduğunu hayal edemezdim - uyumayı seviyorum, bunda oldukça iyiyim ve aslında oldukça kolay buluyorum, çok teşekkür ederim. But she struggles to go to sleep, then struggles to stay asleep, and finally struggles to fall back asleep when she wakes up after only 15 minutes.

My point is that yes, math is hard, but so is sleeping…at first. Demek istediğim, evet, matematik zor, ama ilk başta… öyle uyuyor. 我的意思是,是的,数学很难,但睡觉也是如此。 It takes work, but eventually we get better at it. İşe ihtiyaç var ama sonunda daha iyi olacağız. The important point is that we have to keep trying and not convince ourselves that we simply can’t do it. Önemli olan, denemeye devam etmemiz ve kendimizi basitçe yapamayacağımıza ikna etmememiz gerektiğidir. 重要的一点是,我们必须继续努力,不要让自己说服自己根本做不到。 Again, I know this sounds overly simplistic, but the research described in the article shows that this simple starting point really is the starting point. Yine bunun son derece basit olduğunu biliyorum, ancak makalede açıklanan araştırma bu basit başlangıç noktasının gerçekten başlangıç noktası olduğunu gösteriyor. If we can fix the black hole of math negativity, then we can start to fix math. Eğer matematik olumsuzluğunun kara deliğini düzeltebilirsek, matematik düzeltmeye başlayabiliriz.

Why Is Math Worth Fixing Neden Matematik tamir etmeye değer mi

Which might lead you to wonder: "Why is math worth fixing?" Hangisi merak etmenize neden olabilir: "Neden matematik tamir etmeye değer?" The authors of The Atlantic article address that, too. Atlantik makalesinin yazarları da bunu ele alıyor. 《大西洋》的作者也谈到了这一点。 They write:

"Math skills are increasingly important for getting good jobs these days - so believing you can’t learn math is especially self-destructive. “Matematik becerileri bugünlerde iyi işler elde etmek için giderek daha önemli - bu nedenle matematiği öğrenemediğinize inanmak özellikle kendi kendini yıkıcı. “如今,数学技能对于找到好工作变得越来越重要-因此,认为自己不会学习数学尤其具有自毁性。 But we also believe that math is the area where America’s 'fallacy of inborn ability' is the most entrenched. Ancak, matematiğin Amerika'nın “doğuştan gelen yeteneklerin yanlışlığı” nın en sağlam olduğu alan olduğuna da inanıyoruz. Math is the great mental bogeyman of an unconfident America. Matematik, kendine güvenen bir Amerika'nın büyük zihinsel öcü olduğunu. 数学是不自信的美国的伟大精神上的柏忌。 If we can convince you that anyone can learn math, it should be a short step to convincing you that you can learn just about anything, if you work hard enough."

I’ve taught enough math and physics students - of all ability levels - over the years, and I know first-hand that this mental block surrounding mathematical abilities is very real, very destructive, and even debilitating for some people. Yıllar boyunca tüm yetenek seviyelerinden yeteri kadar matematik ve fizik öğrencisi öğrendim ve ilk elden matematiksel yetenekleri çevreleyen bu zihinsel bloğun bazı insanlar için çok gerçek, çok yıkıcı ve hatta zayıflatıcı olduğunu biliyorum. But I also know first hand that it can be overcome. Ich weiß aber auch aus erster Hand, dass es überwunden werden kann. Ama bunun da üstesinden gelinebileceğini ilk elden biliyorum. 但我也知道第一手资料可以克服。 The first step in overcoming this fear is to realize that you are not alone in "not getting it" - the truth is that nobody "gets it" at first. Der erste Schritt zur Überwindung dieser Angst besteht darin, zu erkennen, dass Sie nicht allein sind, wenn Sie "es nicht bekommen" - die Wahrheit ist, dass niemand es zuerst "bekommt". この恐怖を克服するための最初のステップは、「理解できない」のは自分だけではないことに気づくことです。 Bu korkunun üstesinden gelmenin ilk adımı "onu alamamak" konusunda yalnız olmadığınızın farkına varmaktır - gerçek şu ki, ilk başta kimsenin "alamadığı" dır. As Kimball and Smith describe:

"Too many Americans go through life terrified of equations and mathematical symbols. "Çok fazla Amerikalı, denklemlerden ve matematiksel sembollerden çok korkuyor. “太多的美国人过着可怕的方程式和数学符号的生活。 We think what many of them are afraid of is 'proving' themselves to be genetically inferior by failing to instantly comprehend the equations (when, of course, in reality, even a math professor would have to read closely). Birçoğunun korktuğu şeyin, denklemleri anında kavramakta başarısızlıkla genetik olarak daha aşağı olduklarını kanıtladıklarını düşünüyoruz (gerçekte bir matematik profesörü bile yakından okumak zorunda kaldıklarında). 我们认为,他们中的许多人担心由于无法立即理解方程式而“证明”自己在基因上逊色(当然,实际上,即使是数学教授也必须仔细阅读)。 So they recoil from anything that looks like math, protesting: 'I’m not a math person.' そのため、彼らは数学のように見えるものすべてに反抗し、「私は数学の人ではありません」と抗議します。 Böylece matematik gibi görünen her şeyden kurtuluyorlar, protesto ediyor: 'Ben matematik insanı değilim'. And so they exclude themselves from quite a few lucrative career opportunities. そのため、彼らはかなりの数の有利なキャリアの機会から自分自身を除外します. Böylece, kendilerini oldukça az kazançlı kariyer fırsatlarından mahrum bırakıyorlar. We believe that this has to stop."

I couldn’t agree more. Daha fazla katılamadım. How to Heal Math Matematik Şifa Nasıl

So, what can be done to heal math? Peki matematiği iyileştirmek için ne yapılabilir? According to Kimball and Smith:

"We have at least one American-style idea for making kids smarter: treat people who work hard at learning as heroes and role models . “Çocukları daha akıllı yapmak için en az bir Amerikan tarzı fikrimiz var: öğrenmede çok çalışan insanlara kahramanlar ve rol modelleri olarak davranın. We already venerate sports heroes who make up for lack of talent through persistence and grit; why should our educational culture be any different? 私たちはすでに、粘り強さと根性で才能の欠如を補っているスポーツヒーローを崇拝しています。なぜ私たちの教育文化は違うのですか? Biz zaten sebat ve cesaretle yetenek eksikliğinden oluşan spor kahramanları yetiştiriyoruz; Eğitim kültürümüz neden farklı olsun ki?

In the debate between 'nature vs. nurture,' a critical third element - personal perseverance and effort—seems to have been sidelined. 'Doğaya karşı besleyici' arasındaki tartışmada, kritik bir üçüncü unsur - kişisel sebat ve çaba - kısaltılmış görünüyor. 在“自然与养育”之间的辩论中,关键的第三要素-个人的毅力和努力-似乎已被淘汰。 We want to bring it back, and we think that math is the best place to start."

What can you do to help heal math? The simplest piece of advice I can give you is to try to avoid talking negatively about math. I know this can be a tough ask for people who have struggled over the years with math, but every time a kid hears a parent or any other adult talking about how hard math is or how "I was never any good at math," a seed is planted in that child’s mind that makes him or her wonder if maybe they are bad at math, too. Bunun yıllar boyunca matematikle mücadele eden insanlar için zor bir istekte bulunabileceğini biliyorum, ancak bir çocuk bir matematiği veya başka bir yetişkin duyduğunda, matematiğin ne kadar zor olduğu veya nasıl "matematikte asla iyi olamadığım" hakkında Tohum, çocuğun matematikte kötü olup olmadığını merak etmesini sağlayan aklına ekilir. And thus the cycle will be doomed to continue. Ve böylece döngü devam etmeye mahkum olacak. Let’s all agree to help break it. それを打破するのを助けることに皆で同意しましょう。 Hepimiz onu kırmaya yardım etmeyi kabul edelim. Wrap Up Sarmak

Okay, that’s all we have time for today. Tamam, bugün için zamanımız bu. I’d be very interested to hear what you guys think about this article and the ideas I’ve talked about. Bu makale hakkında ne düşündüğünüzü ve bahsettiğim fikirleri duymak isterim. Please send your thoughts via email to mathdude@quickanddirtytips.com.

Please be sure to check out my book  The Math Dude’s Quick and Dirty Guide to Algebra . And remember to become a fan of the Math Dude on Facebook where you’ll find lots of great math posted throughout the week. If you’re on Twitter, please follow me there, too. Until next time, this is Jason Marshall with  The Math Dude’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Math Easier . Thanks for reading, math fans!

Betterment LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Brokerage services are offered by Betterment Securities, an SEC registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. 经纪服务由美国证券交易委员会注册的经纪交易商和FINRA / SIPC成员Betterment Securities提供。 Investments are not FDIC Insured. Yatırımlar FDIC Sigortalı değildir. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. Değer Kaybedebilir. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Before investing, consider your investment objectives and Betterment’s charges and expenses. Yatırım yapmadan önce, yatırım hedeflerinizi ve İyileştirme'nin ücret ve giderlerini göz önünde bulundurun. Not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities in jurisdictions where Betterment and Betterment Securities are not registered.