Algebra is the favorite math activity
A recent poll on Interactive Mathematics indicated the following about readers’ preferences. The question was…
What is your favorite math activity?
Doing algebra: 39%
None of these: 22%
Drawing graphs: 15%
Doing calculator: 14%
Doing geometry: 9%
Total votes: 1000
This is curious to me because nearly all students respond negatively to algebra lessons, but are more motivated when there is graph drawing or even geometry involved, since they get to do something with their hands.
OK, I know, this is not a scientific poll in any way and could be suffering from several distortions.
A lot of people (22%) responded with “none of these”. I’m wondering if I left out something vital from my choices? Or are these respondents saying they don’t like doing any math activity? This is actually remarkably consistent with the 22% (yes, the same) who said they didn’t like math at all in an earlier poll. See earlier poll results.
Do any of you have any thoughts on this? What math activity do you like doing and why?
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Carlo Vergara said,
March 13, 2008 at 4:53 am
I always did best in geometry. Proving those theorems was like playing a game. Trigonometry was good, too. Algebra didn’t do much for me–maybe because it was too abstract.
MathMom said,
March 13, 2008 at 8:34 am
Puzzles
Was it supposed to be a classroom math activity?
zac said,
March 13, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Carlo: Thanks for your input. Also, thanks for “Tulibu dibu douchoo” on your blog - I laughed until I cried…
MathMom: Good to hear from you. I didn’t include ‘puzzles’ - oops!
I had both ‘in’ and ‘out’ of class in mind. Unfortunately, all ‘quick and dirty’ polls suffer from the necessity of using ultra-brief questions.
JackieB said,
March 14, 2008 at 9:31 am
The most fun I’ve had this year has been trig identity proofs (does this count as a puzzle?).
zac said,
March 14, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Hi Jackie. Trig identity proofs are an interesting challenge. There’s something very satisfying about that right hand side appearing…
Priyanshu Agrawal said,
March 14, 2008 at 11:23 pm
i hate algebra or simply calculations.
i like calculus in maths….
and drawing graphs also too much….
zac said,
March 15, 2008 at 9:03 am
Hi Prinyanshu and thanks for your comment. It’s interesting that you like calculus while hating algebra. Do you mean that you don’t like pure algebra (has no application) but you do like calculus (which has application)?
Yeh, I also like graph drawing
sara said,
March 15, 2008 at 7:35 pm
actually i was surprised too ,, because i dont really like algebra it depend on rules u should know ,, but geometry its the best branch of math because its like agame a puzzle ,, it needs thinking ,, i think the most of the students dont like to think they want to get a princible or a rule and get rest … lol !!
Natalie said,
March 16, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Trig, algebra, and geometry run together so much that I cannot see one without the other. I enjoy them all equally.
I least enjoy the calculator, its more fun and less like cheating when I can figure out how the graph looks by looking at the equation
Natalie said,
March 16, 2008 at 3:31 pm
ps i love calc
vlorbik said,
March 20, 2008 at 10:52 pm
algebra rocks.
undergrads quite often don’t know it …
but there’s plenty of algebra beyond
pre-calculus; lots of very smart people
making a living thinking up *new* algebra
(i once sort of aspired to be one *of* ‘em
and wrote a dissertation in algebra …
what the heck, here’s the abstract).
existence proof.
sophmore year i was in a linear algebra course.
at that point in my life, i kicked a skateboard
around town as my basic means of transportation.
skateboards were rare in that part of the country
back then, so apparently the instructor had mentioned
to his family that there was this weird kid in his
linear algebra class who moved around on a skater.
anyhow, long story longer (the point *is* approaching),
i ran into *his* kid (literally a kid … 13, say)
in the student union and he asked me,
“are you taking algebra?”
and my immediate knee-jerk reaction
was along the lines “heck, no! i took that
back in *high school*, for heck sake!”.
but then he told me about this skateboarder
his dad had mentioned and it dawned on me …
zac said,
March 21, 2008 at 8:04 am
Sara: I’ve also noticed that many students prefer to be given a formula and all they have to do is plug the numbers in, rather than having to analyse a geometry problem. But it is a good feeling once you figure it out!
Natalie: I also enjoy mentally graphing an equation - and calculus - just like you. Actually, I hardly ever use a calculator these days, since I started using mathematics software.
Vlorbik: Good to see you again. Thanks for the link to your thesis abstract. Wow, yes, you were thinking up new algebras! Have you revisited those ideas since?
Thanks also for your story. While students talk about teachers all the time, they don’t realise that the teachers are talking about the students too…
abdul said,
March 29, 2008 at 11:52 pm
hi
i am happy with your reply
abdul