Donald Kraska

Some young students think they know what is important

And to that end, tend to skim over things, trying to get to what they want to do fast.

I am older than probably anyone reading this, I retired a long time ago from industry, I was an Engineer and Systems designer and programmer, and teach Algebra because I like it, know it cold, and enjoy challenging younger students who "think they know what is important".

Usually they don't. One fellow, when contacted about his failing grade [not much work turned in] told me that he was very busy concentrating upon the details a computer game that he was involved in, a complex game indeed, he said, with pride. I asked him what he was in school for, and he said to learn how to create games and sell them to make a lot of money. We got into a discussion about it, and I tried to make the points that
1. When he goes to look for a job, the boss or interviewer will ask him questions designed to look beyond his immediate knowledge of current software and games, trying to see if he delved at all into the math underlying that software.
2. I talked about how a figure recedes into the distance to a visual point in the background, like as if in a cube that is drawn as an isometric figure in 2D that looks like 3D, and how the equations of the straight lines [y=mx+b, m=slope and b=y intercept] making up that cube change in their slope and y intercept [which he knew the definitions of from earlier reading] such that the cube [and anything, like a figure of a man inside that cube] seems to have action and moves away and to the right and left, as one changes the visual point[s] in the background and slides the face of the cube back and forth along the lines.
3. Motion, like in a moving picture, or in an action game, is really just a series of snapshots of fixed frames that each change a little [as described above in 2.], and when played back fast in sequence, fools the brain into thinking there is motion up there on the screen.

All this kind of blew his mind, and at the appropriate time, I suggested he might like to review the chat archive I had out there, that illustrated that action with a cube and showed all the straight line equations, and how they changed over time to make the cube appear to be moving in and out of the foreground and moving left or right.

Later, he responded with an email that basically made my day. He said that he never really understood how the software worked before, he still didn't, but he now has an idea of how, and he now realizes how important it is to understand the basics of Algebra.

He passed with a B.

This is a success story, but my real reason for posting is that I don't know how to handle those that do NOT have such an intense drive towards something particular, that I can exploit. I try to give them examples of Algebra and Math in their everyday lives, and this helps. But what I am looking for here, are some new [to me] ideas on how to activate an interest in Algebra, when most students find it dull, non-useful, a required Ed course so they can take their courses of specialty that they really want to take.

I have tried relating to them about getting a job, that Math and English are basic core subjects that must be mastered for any career to be successful, so that one can move beyond the rest with whom they are competing, and make bigger bucks, too. If they have poor grammar and can't spell, and can't do math and basic Algebra, they will be limited in their advancement possibilities in ANY field. These are basics that any job beyond physical labor requires.

Any other thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks