Scott Hamilton, the former CEO of the American "Knowledge is Power" project, said that once at school, a girl asked him, "I want to be a fashion designer. Why should I study algebra? " Hamilton was caught on the spot.
Later, he called Dan Willingham, a cognitive scientist who studied education, and asked him this question.
Willingham replied, "Algebra is the gymnastics of the brain. Algebra teaches the brain how to apply abstract theory to practice. " In other words, algebra is a bridge connecting the ideological world with the real world. Algebra itself is not important, what matters is the abstract thinking ability that algebra teaches people. And abstract thinking ability is like a compass when people think.
In the same way, why learn the basic skills of writing and programming? Let children learn to write, not because all children can become writers or journalists in the future, but because learning to write can help people express their ideas and thinking better. In today's computer age, programming is writing.
The poor ignore it, but the rich value it.
However, there are also differences and inequalities in the teaching of these basic subjects, thus forming two sets of education systems. Schools in poor communities often ignore their importance; Schools for the rich are the opposite. Educator James Gee said, "In the end, we will form two teaching systems, one for the rich and the other for the poor." The teaching system for the poor teaches students how to take exams, ensuring that they acquire basic knowledge and then become competent for service work. The teaching system of the rich emphasizes the ability to solve problems, innovate and explore new knowledge. From this point of view, the new battlefield of equality is no longer the equality of employment opportunities, but "whether to learn algebra well" It's like the joke on the internet, "You may not need math to buy food, but you can decide where to buy food if you learn math well." It's just a joke, but it's not funny.
The host of "Science Zero" said: Have you ever done the problem of chickens and rabbits in the same cage in primary school? This problem starts with concrete images such as chicken feet and rabbit feet, and then draws graphs from them to calculate. At this point, it is already a great abstract ability. After entering junior high school, the problem of chickens and rabbits in the same cage no longer appears, but is calculated by X and Y. I'm sure everyone knows what happened here. Yes, we have entered a more abstract world.