My Reflection on Math Myths

I have encountered the myth that “it’s always important to get the answer exactly right.”  During my math education it seemed that you always had to work out problems for several decimal places.  In chemistry class, it makes sense that you use the correct significant figures when working on a lab.  I have found that in real-life, an adult mostly needs to use estimation in their daily lives.  I think that students need to realize that rounding and estimation are two very important skills that they can use in everyday life.  Students need practice when and where estimations are appropriate to use.  I may estimate the number of paper plates I’ll need for a family picnic or I may estimate the tip on a bill when eating dinner out.  Students need to recognize that these two cases do not need an exact answer.

“People who are good at math do problems quickly, in their heads,” is a myth that I believed in throughout elementary school, because I associated the smartest person in class with the student who won the flash card competitions.  I soon understood that even though I could not answer my multiplication tasks as quickly as others, I could still do well in mathematics.  I knew that I still needed to have my facts memorized in order to complete tests on time.  Now, as a teacher, I do not place time restrictions on my students.  I offer them the option of finishing a quiz or test during a studyhall at a later time.  I have also seen students competing with the class to be the first person to turn in their quiz and make minor mistakes that I believe the student would never had made if they would have taken their time.  I would ask my students what bridge over a dangerous river they would prefer to cross: a bridge built as quickly as possible with no plans or a bridge that someone created with carefully drawn out blue prints, computer models, and then built to the exact specifications of the blue prints.  Students need to realize that speed is not as important as quality when it comes to mathematics.

 

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