Learnings
A tangled web is what epitomizes the literate mind. A famous quote “I was born intelligent, Education ruined me”. An education that prevents the free flow of thoughts in an attempt to set a focus has been silently accepted as the norm.
Well I learnt math for quiet a long time before I had a chance to learn Boolean algebra. And when I came across Boolean algebra, I learnt the properties. I could learn cumulative and associative properties in Boolean algebra. I learnt what was not possible with it. And then I saw these properties being associated with general math. I have never considered these properties all along in my tryst with math. I wasn’t handicapped by the lack of this knowledge. I have just taken for granted what was possible and what was not possible. I have been doing things without really knowing what’s.
The fact that I have learnt the methods first before learning the concepts was disturbing. We are taught of the methods first because, at that age it is easier to learn the methods of “5 in the hand, 3 in the mind” type. Even a number line is explored like, First Natural numbers, and then introduces 0, then the negative numbers, then the fractions, and then the real and non-real.
Now this is how we learn. But what is wrong with it. Why isn’t a child allowed to explore, if there are positive numbers, there should be something negative. If there is some presence of quantities, there should be the absence of them. There should be a state attained by the cancellation of opposing quanta. Why is a zero not derived from a child’s mind?
When I am exposed to the number line, the way I said earlier I am actually unlearning. I thought that these were the numbers, and then I am told, no there are more. It is not a step by step process, but rather the re ordering of the house. Re organizing is welcome, but if it comes from my side, why am I to re organize based on more inputs.
As we grow we have to add more knowledge, but here as we grow, we are substituting older knowledge with clearer representations. This is what I called unlearning. It would be rather better off, if I could have learnt the concepts and reflected more on them with learning as an incremental process.
Well I learnt math for quiet a long time before I had a chance to learn Boolean algebra. And when I came across Boolean algebra, I learnt the properties. I could learn cumulative and associative properties in Boolean algebra. I learnt what was not possible with it. And then I saw these properties being associated with general math. I have never considered these properties all along in my tryst with math. I wasn’t handicapped by the lack of this knowledge. I have just taken for granted what was possible and what was not possible. I have been doing things without really knowing what’s.
The fact that I have learnt the methods first before learning the concepts was disturbing. We are taught of the methods first because, at that age it is easier to learn the methods of “5 in the hand, 3 in the mind” type. Even a number line is explored like, First Natural numbers, and then introduces 0, then the negative numbers, then the fractions, and then the real and non-real.
Now this is how we learn. But what is wrong with it. Why isn’t a child allowed to explore, if there are positive numbers, there should be something negative. If there is some presence of quantities, there should be the absence of them. There should be a state attained by the cancellation of opposing quanta. Why is a zero not derived from a child’s mind?
When I am exposed to the number line, the way I said earlier I am actually unlearning. I thought that these were the numbers, and then I am told, no there are more. It is not a step by step process, but rather the re ordering of the house. Re organizing is welcome, but if it comes from my side, why am I to re organize based on more inputs.
As we grow we have to add more knowledge, but here as we grow, we are substituting older knowledge with clearer representations. This is what I called unlearning. It would be rather better off, if I could have learnt the concepts and reflected more on them with learning as an incremental process.
posted by Devanathan at 10:44 PM
1 Comments:
Aiyyyo .. Mokkai podarane !!!
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