Desicritics Comments on US Students In Mathematics - High on Confidence but Low on Scores

Comment by Shanti Mangala

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:25:16 EDT

That is the story of US in general.. High on Confidence.. Low on results! Very nice, Desh - nothing works better than painting with broad brushes to make a point.

Comment by Desh

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:41:20 EDT

Hiba: hey welcome and thanks!! Thanks for the "insiders view"! According to the Brookings report - the countries who are just very direct in terms of learning in Mathematics. .are the ones who do well ;-) go figure! hidielyn: Great question.. have you heard of George Bush - remember his confidence on Iraq? See his results? That is the story of US in general.. High on Confidence.. Low on results! Cheers, -desh drishtikone.com

Comment by hidielyn

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 02:05:46 EDT

what's the reason why the americans are confident that they are good in math?

Comment by Hiba

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:44:56 EDT

Hi Desh, Was visiting and bumped into your article. Very interesting. I'm actualy doing a teaching degree in the US. As educators, we are very concerned about why American kids are not doing well in Maths. New laws have come about that require state testing with the hope that this will help raise standards and accountability. We do try making learning fun which I think is key but if we lose focus of the real goal, then it isn't really fun anymore..:)

Comment by Desh

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:54:48 EDT

Sanjeev: I am completely with you. I believe that we should follow where our heart is. But then one can build a career on what we have pursued forcibly too. I had been an artist by heart... but had background in B.Com (Hons). So when I finished my MBA, I enquired with my Uncle: - Creative Advertising is where my heart is. But Accounting is what my background says. Where should I go? He said Follow your background. And I got stuck with finance and accounting forever without liking it even for a moment all these years! So, I understand what you are saying. Cheers, Desh Drishtikone.com

Comment by Durgesh

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:22:35 EDT

Aaman dearest, why haven't you ever given me such a gushing invitation???????

Comment by Sanjeev

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 03:48:48 EDT

Hi Desh, I used to believe that you really have to have an inclination for the work you choose as your vocation. But with experience I have learnt that you have to learn to like whatever you've chosen as your vocation! A student good at mathematics may not necessarily do very well as a book-keeper. Similarly liguistically-inclined students do not all end up becoming journalists. I read somewhere that the students even develop love for a subject if they have a crush on the teacher who teaches it! While pursuing CA, I noticed many of my fellow students didn't have the slightest inclination of the kind of work CAs do; ironically they were the ones who were all-India toppers! I think a student who "loves" a subject takes it as a lark, a leisurely activity. When he's under duress to "please" others, he fails to make the grade. A Srinavasan Ramanujan may be fascinated by numbers, but that doesn't mean he is cut out to be an actuary or an accountant. Art loses its beauty when it is pursued not as a hobby but as a duty; when there's a great deal of pressure on you to do well. Lucky indeed are the likes of Sachin Tendulkar who do what they love to do and get paid for it! Sanjeev