Re: The audience for Mathematica (Was: Show doesn't work inside Do
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg102109] Re: The audience for Mathematica (Was: Show doesn't work inside Do
- From: Noqsi <jpd at wispertel.net>
- Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:56:41 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <h4m4ca$ecg$1@smc.vnet.net>
On Jul 28, 12:03 am, Bill Rowe <readn... at sbcglobal.net> wrote: > The problem here is most high school students are in the process > of learning mathematics and have little knowledge of advanced > mathematics. Is it really a good idea to give students learning > say algebra access to a tool like Mathematica? If you do, what > will they learn? Algebra or usage of the tool? I introduced my son to Mathematica when he was in middle school. I watched Mathematica teach him to formulate problems carefully. When working with pencil and paper your informal understanding of the problem allows sloppiness and shortcuts, but Mathematica is "garbage in, garbage out". Some of the complainers here don't seem to get this. He learned algebra and calculus just fine. Now he's in grad school, working with world class mathematicians, and at the threshold of becoming one himself.