Philosophy

Have you ever sat in math class and asked the question: "Why are we learning this?" or "When am I ever going to use this?" Let me respond with my own question…do you know how to ride a bike?

Most kids learn how to ride a bike, but have you ever stopped to think why? Well, for one thing, it's fun. Bike riding is also a viable mode of transportation that some people use (or even depend on) to get around. Some people even ride bikes professionally. Likewise, many people find that doing math is fun. Many jobs require mathematical skills, though what kind of math and how much of it is used varies. (Don't believe me? Check out weusemath.org .)

Perhaps the best reason, though, to learn to ride a bike is for the developmental benefits—balance, strength, coordination—because every bike rider gains these benefits and they all contribute significantly to your ability to be a functional human being. Similarly, over the course of your mathematical journey, you develop some essential skills that also contribute to your ability to be a functional human being. You learn to:

• be careful and pay attention to even the most minor of details.
• make reasonable assumptions and prove they are correct (if you can) and why that's important.
• figure out what you know about a given situation and to use that to find out more.
• work with others, including people you don't know that well or even don't get along with.
• use the resources available to you to help you as you learn and solve problems.
• be persistent, even when things get tough.

Finally, consider how you learned to ride a bike. You didn't learn just from watching your dad, older brother, or neighbor. You learned by getting on a bike and giving it a go. You probably needed training wheels in the beginning, or maybe you needed someone to hold on to the handle bars. But eventually, you have to take off the training wheels and go it alone. Undoubtedly, there were times that you fell, times that you crashed, but so long as you got back up on your bike and tried again, you were finally successful.

The same is true of learning math. There will be times when you crash—really crash—and sometimes you need a little help to get you going. But so long as you keep at it, you'll be surprised at what you can do.