Mr Hejný, a pensioner who used to travel basically innumerate, was all of a precipitous embraced equally a teaching guru past times lots of "progressive" teachers. He says that the children don't take away keep to travel forced to adopt whatsoever thought – every kid volition rediscover everything almost mathematics he or she needs (which is utterly ludicrous, of course). Formulae in addition to identities are "evil", he says (which is a slogan denouncing the real middle of mathematics). Also, mathematics should travel maximally conflated amongst everyday life situations (so that children's thinking becomes maximally dingy in addition to they can't isolate ideas in addition to concepts in addition to split upward them from each other – in addition to mathematics critically depends on this isolation) etc. I've explained why every unmarried "principle" of this "progressive" methodology is merely the contrary of the truth. Let's promise that inward the wake of Brexit, at to the lowest degree the British kids volition travel shielded from this particular disease.
But people adopting these things aren't doing whatsoever science. They are driven past times laziness in addition to past times ideology. This method that became tolerated is a slap-up means to basically kill the teaching of mathematics or at to the lowest degree whatsoever rigorous plenty requirements. It is clearly "mathematics equally imagined past times those who loathe the actual mathematics". The Hejný method is merely a induce amongst a name.
Needless to say, the Western didactics systems are total of similar garbage. Schools dedicate less in addition to less fourth dimension to "hard education" in addition to an increasing amount of fourth dimension to ideological brainwashing in addition to indoctrination past times the political correctness. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 major example: Children are increasingly encouraged to write essays praising the EU in addition to believe that they're real creative in addition to independent if they do such things – clearly the contrary of the truth.
Last night, a commenter on my Czech weblog pointed out a story inward the Czech media. With a 6-day delay, nosotros learned almost a conception that the British readers were informed almost from outlets starting amongst the Daily Mail:
Half of main schools laid to learn maths Chinese-style: Children volition travel required to practise sums in addition to exercises until they tin testify they take away keep mastered themThat article seems real clear in addition to I intend yous don't demand some other one.
Minister of schools Nicolas Gibb (Conservative Party) has noticed that despite the materially small-scale weather condition inward Chinese schools, children inward Shanghai are some stunning three years ahead of the British schoolkids when it comes to their skills inward mathematics. So he announced a conception for a revolution: In the next years, half of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland main schools volition travel switched to the "Shanghai maths" trend of teaching mathematics.
It's pretty much the exact contrary of the "progressive" methods – spell it's non also unlike from what the schoolkids were exposed to earlier the "progressive" rituals began to spread sometime inward the 1970s. All the children inward a classroom are learning from the same page which contains "pure exercises" – no relationships amongst the everyday life situations – in addition to they must succeed. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instructor asks a question, a selected pupil must answer it, in addition to the whole course of instruction must repeat it in addition to rhythmically applaud. Smarter kids are to a greater extent than probable to travel the "leaders" to a greater extent than frequently in addition to they are encouraged to deepen their understanding of the principles instead of getting ahead.
This is my summary. The story inward the Daily Mail tells yous much to a greater extent than than that. Among other things, yous volition acquire that the intense purpose of the Chinese course of instruction exclusively takes 35 minutes – half of the British course of instruction that is frequently lxx minutes long – but they withal take away keep much amend results.
What do I intend almost "Shanghai maths"? It's for sure to a greater extent than right than the "progressive methods". They are really teaching something that is well-defined. And the results speak a clear lesson. The South Asian in addition to Shanghai kids look to travel amend inward mathematics. So it's a argue to intend that their methodology could travel amend than the "progressive" Western ones.
I concur amongst those who say that the methodology isn't necessarily the exclusively reason. The Chinese may take away keep a higher IQ past times 10 points, much higher innate dependent area combined amongst lower creativity, in addition to they're merely used to rote learning (just imagine how shocking it has to travel to acquire the Chinese letters). But inward principle, European children may for sure acquire something comparable to the Chinese.
Also, mechanical arithmetical calculations are non precisely what I consider the mass of mathematics. They furnish yous amongst some basics in addition to some raw cloth to usage inward to a greater extent than structured, genuinely mathematical contexts, but i shouldn't acquire stuck amongst them. Identities, complex methodologies, theorems, proofs, to a greater extent than complex algebraic structures, relationships to geometry etc. take away keep to dominate inward mathematics from some moment. And the fact that nosotros take away keep non exclusively calculators but computers everywhere should influence what kids acquire (i.e. some modify e.g. from the 1930s). However, I intend that Gibb's conclusion is a pace inward the right direction especially because the "progressive" footing see is in addition to hence utterly misguided.
The experts' opinions almost "the right ways to teach" aren't really a science. But to adopt the methods from a house that seemed much to a greater extent than successful than others is something that I would consider a quasi-scientific cast of mutual sense. And Asia is ahead of Great Britain in addition to ahead of "us" inward many things.
Progressive Western "experts" vs Asian food
I can't resist to refer some other theme where "soft scientific discipline experts inward the West" clash amongst "benefits of the Asian approach": the opinions almost "healthy in addition to unhealthy food". OK, in addition to hence I learned that an overwhelming bulk of my relatives inward a sure purpose of the trouble solid unit of measurement consider the magazines for the most ordinary people – many of which would deserve to travel called junk tabloids – to travel the Holy Scripture, especially when it comes to the insights that "this nutrient is salubrious in addition to that nutrient is not".
You know, fifty-fifty inward the professional person inquiry magazines amongst a high impact factor, it's been seen that at to the lowest degree 50% or in addition to hence of the published articles plough out to travel false. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rational soul has to travel careful earlier he trusts a random article of that kind. I honour it absolutely obvious that these "piles of wisdom" written basically past times ordinary people are much weaker than the professional person articles inward medical inquiry journals. It's basically noise.
Obviously, I am far from understanding much of chemical scientific discipline or biological scientific discipline etc. But I intend that people must travel absolutely detached from reality if they intend that random physicians permit lone random journalists are to a greater extent than probable to travel right than me (or someone similar me) on some isolated scientific theme that I was (or he was) interested inward in addition to intensely studied. It merely seems utterly crazy to me that some people – in addition to it's in all probability most people inward our countries – completely neglect to acquire the basic betoken that a big share of the "health nutrient science" that is written inward random journals (and lots of similar "soft science") is merely almost consummate junk.
What I honour peculiarly crazy is that these people mindlessly buying all the "authoritative insights" inward these journals aren't worried at all past times the fact that they contradict each other in addition to they are changing the conclusions all the time. If self-confident self-described nutrient experts A,B loudly promote their precisely contrary verdicts on a food, doesn't it self-evidently imply that at to the lowest degree i of them must travel wrong? Is it possible that someone doesn't notice or that her or his belief inward the qualities of these scientists or pundits isn't affected past times the inconsistencies? And if A,B take away keep used basically the same full general methodology to brand it at their outcomes, isn't it clear that the methodology isn't a scientifically trustworthy i in addition to hence both A,B should travel ignored fifty-fifty if i of them got the right answer (by chance)?
Feynman on pseudosciences in addition to would-be experts. People may disagree almost many particular questions – who is an practiced in addition to who is right on this or that – but I honour it stunning that some people in addition to peradventure most people haven't been capable of noticing that a pregnant share of the science-like wisdom inward the "media for ordinary people" doesn't grip water. But maybe it's amend for the people amongst IQ below 100 to believe such magazines uncritically because those were written past times journalists amongst the average IQ of 110 or so who dedicated at to the lowest degree some fourth dimension to the issues? By the way, take away keep yous e'er read the 7-page 1965 report amongst Feynman's opinions almost the right means to learn mathematics?
OK, a particular article inward a mag I consider mostly trash has voiced random opinions almost almost all foods. Almost all nutrient is "bad", of course, spell some previously criticized nutrient was said to travel "good" etc. I would concur amongst some 50% of the verdicts ;-) in addition to peradventure a fleck to a greater extent than than that but the understanding is clearly a affair of run a jeopardy because I don't honour their methodology justifiable. The most controversial item was the kokosnoot oil. The article declared it a terrible nutrient – mostly because it contains the saturated fats which cripple one's cardiovascular system.
I am convinced that this is a purpose of the "fat myths" that take away keep been some for some 50 years. I am non a systematic eater of the kokosnoot fossil oil but I do honour it obvious that fifty-fifty if it became a majority of the nutrient yous consume, it would travel basically fine for you. Although I am non sure almost all of them, this otherwise "neutral food" has lots of benefits exterior the cardiovascular system. And when it comes to the cardiovascular organization in addition to saturated fats, it merely seems clear to me that in that location exists no credible scientific literature that would imply that inward the total generality, saturated fats are bad for the people at the halt – that they lower the life expectancy, for example. It's light-headed to "completely demonize" all of cholesterol. At the end, it's an essential purpose of jail cellphone membranes. Human life is for sure impossible without cholesterol – in addition to our bodies are for sure able to bargain amongst it inward some ways. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 human trunk contains some 35 grams of cholesterol in addition to has to synthetize 1 gram a day. The devil may exclusively travel inward the details.
Many informed equally good equally quasi-informed people rapidly showtime to speak almost lots of technical details inward chemistry. PUFA, omega-3/omega-6 ratio, MUFA, SAFA, MCT fats, LDL, HDL, in addition to and hence on. But I intend it's of import to realize that these things are real complicated in addition to to assign whatsoever of these chemic compounds amongst a universal positive or negative sign may travel an unjustified ritual in addition to a mistake. There are means also many statements almost these compounds in addition to their classes that are non really backed past times trustworthy inquiry or that are non beingness sufficiently verified – basically superstitions.
If yous human face at some inquiry carefully enough, yous volition encounter that sure claims almost the harmfulness of fats inward full general etc. are merely wrong. For a slap-up example, this 2010 survey amongst 799 citations has followed 347,747 people for 5-20 years in addition to constitute that saturated obese (like the acids inward kokosnoot oil) increases neither CHD, CVD, nor strokes. Someone may respond amongst 50 less careful or less extensive surveys or tabloid mag articles but the weight of the evidence is not the same.
Just to travel sure, the newspaper I mentioned leaves the possibility that the replacement of saturated fats past times something particular reduces the cardiovascular diseases in addition to indeed, in that location be papers claiming that the replacement of saturated acids past times polyunsaturated acids (PUFAs) is "healthy" spell the replacement past times carbohydrates or monounsaturated acids (MUFAs) makes no difference. Before yous acquire excited past times PUFAs, yous should know that they're unstable in addition to oxidize (e.g. piece of job rancid) at rather depression temperatures, exterior the trunk in addition to inward the body, producing gratuitous radicals which are bad for many reasons (cause inflammation which contributes to diabetes, some cancers, obesity, obese liver, aging pigmentation etc.). When probable plenty wellness risks of many types are added, I am pretty sure that saturated fats are amend than PUFAs, especially for those who aren't obese or "permanent cardiovascular patients". Saturated fats are the most stable ones. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 neutral food. You know what yous eat in addition to in that location aren't also many unaccounted for chemic reactions.
The American Heart Association is probably the most prestigious grouping of people (well, mostly an activist, non scientific, group) that tells everybody to avoid saturated fats – at most five or vi per centum of your daily release energy intake should come upward from them. About 90% of the kokosnoot fossil oil are saturated fats. (They don't fifty-fifty pretend to take away keep credible papers or evidence. Also, they are real far from discussing the PUFA vs MUFA replacements.) But the thought that a diet amongst to a greater extent than than vi per centum of the saturated fats is "dangerous" is merely utterly implausible. Instead of making guesses almost the chemic processes inward your organism, it's in all probability easier to evaluate this complex chore past times a real-world experiment.
Asia has been making this experiment for a real long time. The nations inward Southeast Asia eat a much higher fraction of the kokosnoot fossil oil (and fifty-fifty palm fossil oil which is almost certainly less healthy) in addition to their wellness seems at to the lowest degree equally goodness equally the wellness of other comparable nations. Isn't it plenty to encounter that their diet merely can't travel catastrophic for human health? Why would whatsoever rational soul accept consummate bans or almost consummate bans on some types of nutrient seriously if the footing is constantly demonstrating that this fearmongering is unjustified?
It's non merely almost fats in addition to their types. Take the claims almost the unsafe "dirt inward Chinese restaurants". How bad tin those things be? The Chinese restaurants inward Europe in addition to America are almost certainly to a greater extent than rigorously verified than those inward Communist People's Republic of China which is to a greater extent than frequently than non poorer. But fifty-fifty inward Communist People's Republic of China where they laid in addition to eat inward the Chinese means all the time, the life expectancy is 75 years. Western countries take away keep a higher expectancy, frequently slightly higher upward lxxx years, but much of it is for sure due to the fancier in addition to wealthier healthcare. If whatsoever aspect of the Chinese diet in addition to Chinese restaurants reduces the life expectancy at all (and fifty-fifty the sign of this outcome is unclear), the decrease is almost certainly negligible. Should yous travel afraid of some 10% of this decrease? I don't intend so.
We the Europeans or Caucasian Americans etc. may travel a piffling unlike than the Asians in addition to I desire to piece of job on my belief that we're amend inward many ways. But the soft sciences in addition to the mag experts' lessons trying to demonize in addition to hence many things that are completely measure in addition to dominant inward Asia – nutrient in addition to teaching methods, amidst others – are self-evident bogus pseudoscience in addition to the people who trust this pseudoscience are extremely stupid at some uncomplicated level.