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Walter Jonathan Ramirez

Gary Walker
English 121
November 21, 2015
The Necessity of Redefining Math

Pikes Peak Community College provides a substantial variety of

degrees and courses to help out every student achieve their academic goals.
As a two year college, it also gives the opportunity to obtain an Associate
degree in applied sciences, which is acceptable for transfers to most 4 year
Colorado universities. This degree prepares students for majors in numerous
fields: from physics and engineering, to chemistry and biology. And between
them also lies the rigorous mathematics, the subject which attracts very few
pupils within the college. Math seems to provoke a sense of dread to
students once they make that first footstep into the classroom. Many
students do not identify the subject as a career but more as a mandatory
subject for their degrees. Why so? The number of mathematics majors has
declined to a whopping 19% over the past ten years at 4 year colleges
(Boaler 3). The issue centers in the classrooms: the traditional method of
teaching is having negative impacts on students learning. This impact is
visible in Pikes Peak Community College math classes.
Jo Boaler, a former professor at Stanford University, identifies the math
issue as a national crisis, as she says, In a recent international assessment

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of mathematics performance conducted in forty countries, the United States

ranked twenty-eight (3). The irony behind these poor performances is the
constant intervention of the American government, which heavily
emphasizes the importance of science education and innovation. STEM,
acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, is an
education coalition with the main role of creating federal and state policies
for science disciplines in schools. Its objective is also to create an interesting
and intriguing image for these scientific arts to students. However, very little
of that motivational push is seen in Pikes Peak Community College. Other
than the usefulness of its Math Center, there is a distinct boundary between
the teachers and students in math classes, and between the students and
the subject, as well. Students handle it as torture, boring and useless. Why?
For the long excruciating hours of listening to rules and formulas? For
working on unrealistic problems that are hard to understand? For not being
able to relate math to everyday life? There must be a flaw within the
education system, because math is exciting, and its deep importance is
clearly neglected.
Mathematics must be seen in a different light. Unfortunately, in most
cases, the big reason students develop a hatred towards the subject is due to
poor teaching in the past, where the teacher gives out a lecture on the rules
and problem-solving methods, then every classmate works on numerous
similar problems individually. This could be observed at Pikes Peak
Community College. This is the traditional way, but it is not the best strategy

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to teach students; never forget to mention that it reflects a negative

reputation for it. If students were asked what mathematics is, the general
answer would go along the lines of a list of rules and procedures that need
to be remembered (Boaler 19). It is a disappointment that kids, teens and
even adults perceive it as abstract, and impossible to relate to everyday life.
Mathematicians would really define it as the study of patterns, for patterns
shape our world (Boaler 15). Math exists to recognize the regularities that
are constantly present within nature, human bodies, technology, even with
psychological behavior. This true definition needs to enter students minds. Is
this new meaning not intriguing and suddenly interesting?
However, it is difficult to create that input for students, if this
traditional method of teaching persists in this college. Students must learn
that mathematics is, surprisingly, a human activity: mathematicians work
together to solve complex problems. Students should not be taught to work
on problems individually, but in a team. The reform method of teaching,
developed over many years by passionate teachers and researchers, could
solve the problem. The reform one consists of interactive activity, where the
class, as a whole, works on relatively difficult problems. The twist, though, is
that these problems are not filled with unnecessary, unrealistic concepts;
they are real-world problems, therefore the solutions are applicable.
Disciplines, such as math, crave for share of ideas and thoughts, for there is
usually more than one way to find a solution. This is the ideal way to help
them become more creative and understand the importance of mathematics.

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Mathematics should never become a burden for students, but as a fun

and collaborative experience. If the reform method is implemented in Pikes
Peak Community Colleges math curriculum, not only would it be easier for
students to learn, but they would also have the opportunity to apply such
knowledge on every days problems. On January 29, 2014, Northrop
Grumman Corporation, an aerospace and cybersecurity contractor, selected
the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs as one of its core university
partners (Kelley 1). It is definitely possible for such a memorable and
rewarding event to occur at Pikes Peak College Campuses too, but the
attention must firstly focus on rearranging math teaching, and encouraging
students to embrace the subject as a handy tool for life.

Works Cited
Boaler, Jo. Whats Math Got to Do With It? Helping Children Learn To Love
Their Least Favorite Subject And Why Its Important. New York: Viking,
2008. Print.
Kelley, Debbie. Northrop Pairs Up With UCCS. The Gazette 29 Jan.
2014: 1, 3. Print.