Learning to become comfortable with being uncomfortable | Mike Ellicock | TEDxRoyalHolloway
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on the discomfort many feel when faced with math problems, like multiplying 17 by 24, and criticizes the UK's binary approach to math education that emphasizes answers over process. They argue that categorizing students by ability early on is unhelpful and can limit their potential. The talk emphasizes the importance of numeracy in daily life for decision-making and as a citizen, and points out the negative impact of poor numeracy on both individuals and the economy. The speaker concludes by advocating for valuing math, fostering a growth mindset, and embracing the discomfort of learning as essential for overcoming math anxiety and improving numeracy.
Takeaways
- 😨 The physiological response to math problems, such as increased heart rate and dilated pupils, can create an uncomfortable feeling that hinders mental arithmetic.
- 📚 The traditional, binary approach to math education in the UK focuses on the answer rather than the process, which can make math seem impossible or easy, creating a divide between students.
- 🧑🎓 Early ability grouping in math can be unhelpful and may not predict future potential, as it often places those with less parental input or intellectually stimulating experiences in lower sets.
- 🔢 Research indicates that 85% of children placed in the bottom set for math remain there throughout their school career, which can negatively impact their self-perception and opportunities.
- 🌐 The belief in a 'math gene' or innate ability is prevalent in the UK and the US, contrasting with high-performing countries like Japan, where effort is emphasized over talent.
- 📱 The ability to perform rapid calculations like 17 times 24 may not be crucial, as we have powerful tools at our disposal, but a discomfort with numbers can hinder decision-making in adult life.
- 🏛 The importance of numeracy extends beyond school, affecting everyday activities, social engagement, and civic participation, including understanding quantitative information in a democratic context.
- 💼 Numeracy is essential for making informed decisions in personal finance, employment, and other areas, and a lack of it can lead to significant economic and personal costs.
- 📉 Poor numeracy is estimated to cost the UK economy £20.2 billion annually, highlighting the economic impact of inadequate math skills on a national scale.
- 🌟 Good numeracy is identified as a significant factor in protecting against unemployment, low wages, and poor health, more so than literacy or other variables.
- 💪 The path forward involves valuing the importance of numeracy in daily life, adopting a growth mindset that shifts from 'I can't do math' to 'I can't do math yet', and embracing the discomfort that comes with learning and growth.
Q & A
What is the primary issue discussed in the script regarding math education in the UK and the US?
-The script discusses the issue of a starkly binary approach to math education, focusing on the answer rather than the process, and the tendency to categorize students by ability at a young age, which can create an unhelpful divide and limit their potential.
Why does the script mention Nelson Mandela's quote in the context of math learning?
-The quote by Nelson Mandela, 'Everything seems impossible until it's done,' is used to illustrate the idea that math problems may seem impossible until solved, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and process over the final answer.
What does the script suggest about the correlation between early math ability and future potential?
-The script suggests that early math ability is not a great predictor of future potential, citing Einstein as an example of someone who was slow in math but later became renowned for his contributions.
What is the 'math gene myth' mentioned in the script, and why is it problematic?
-The 'math gene myth' refers to the belief that success in math is determined by innate talent or ability, which is problematic because it can lead to low expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies for students who are initially slower in math, ignoring the role of effort and learning.
How does the script relate the approach to math education to adult life and decision-making?
-The script relates math education to adult life by arguing that if math is seen as something one cannot do, it can hinder the ability to engage with and manipulate quantitative information, which is essential for making informed decisions in various aspects of life.
What is the significance of the script's mention of carrying around a tool with more computing power than it took to get to the moon?
-The mention of carrying a powerful computing tool (a smartphone) signifies that while we have access to advanced technology for calculations, it's still important to understand and engage with numbers to make good decisions, rather than relying solely on technology.
What does the script suggest is the cost of poor numeracy to the UK economy?
-The script suggests that poor numeracy costs the UK economy a conservative estimate of twenty point two billion pounds a year.
According to the script, what is the best protection against unemployment, low wages, and poor health?
-The script indicates that good numeracy is the best protection against unemployment, low wages, and poor health, as suggested by OECD research.
What are the three elements the script proposes to enable everyone to be confident and competent with numbers and data in daily life?
-The three elements proposed are valuing the importance of using simple math to make good decisions, adopting a growth mindset that shifts from 'I can't do math' to 'I can't do math yet', and embracing effort and the discomfort that comes with learning and growth.
How does the script connect the idea of discomfort to learning and personal growth?
-The script connects discomfort to learning by suggesting that feeling uncomfortable is the starting point for any formative moment or opportunity for learning, and that embracing this discomfort is vital for personal growth and development.
Outlines
📚 The Discomfort of Learning Math
The script begins by setting a scene in a math classroom, highlighting the anxiety many feel when faced with arithmetic problems, such as multiplying 17 by 24. It emphasizes the physiological response to such challenges, like increased heart rate and pupil dilation, which are remnants of our fight-or-flight mechanism. The narrative criticizes the UK's educational approach to math, which focuses on the end result rather than the process, leading to a binary perception of math ability. It discusses the negative impact of early ability grouping in schools, which can pigeonhole students and affect their self-perception and potential. The script also touches on the myth of a 'math gene' and contrasts different cultural attitudes towards math success, citing the OECD's findings on what students believe is needed for success in math.
🔢 The Importance of Numeracy in Daily Life
This paragraph delves into the practical implications of numeracy in everyday life, beyond the classroom. It argues that while the ability to quickly calculate, for example, 17 times 24 may not be essential, as we have powerful tools at our disposal, the discomfort and avoidance of math can hinder decision-making in adulthood. The script mentions various scenarios where numeracy is crucial, from mundane tasks to civic engagement. It presents data from a government survey indicating that many adults struggle with basic math, even those who have passed relevant exams. The economic and personal costs of poor numeracy are outlined, emphasizing the significance of good numeracy for employment, wages, and health. The paragraph concludes with a proposed solution involving three elements: valuing numeracy, adopting a growth mindset, and embracing the discomfort of learning as a necessary step towards competence.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Math anxiety
💡Binary approach
💡Ability grouping
💡Numeracy
💡Talent myth
💡Mindset
💡Effort
💡Social mobility
💡National Numeracy
💡Quantitative information
💡Discomfort zone
Highlights
The physiological response to math questions, such as an increased heart rate and dilated pupils, is likened to the fight-or-flight mechanism, which is not conducive to mental arithmetic.
The traditional focus on the answer rather than the process in math education can lead to a perception of math as either impossible or easy, which is not helpful for learning.
Nelson Mandela's quote is used to illustrate that things seem impossible until they are done, highlighting the importance of perseverance in math.
The practice of categorizing students by ability in math at a young age can create an unhelpful divide and limit future potential.
Research indicates that 85% of children placed in a bottom set for math remain there throughout their school career, which is not beneficial for social mobility.
The belief that math ability is a fixed trait, rather than something that can be developed, is debunked as a myth and is not prevalent in high-performing countries.
The importance of being able to use numbers and data effectively in adult life for decision-making is emphasized, regardless of the ability to perform rapid calculations.
The speaker argues that the ability to engage with quantitative information is crucial for making good decisions in daily life and for effective citizenship.
Poor numeracy skills are estimated to cost the UK economy £20.2 billion a year, and good numeracy is a better protection against unemployment than literacy.
The speaker suggests that the focus in math education should not be on teaching more complex math but on enabling students to use simple math to make good decisions.
A shift in mindset from 'I can't do math' to 'I can't do math yet' is advocated, emphasizing that everyone has the potential to become numerate.
The importance of effort and being comfortable with discomfort is highlighted as a necessary part of learning and personal growth.
The speaker encourages the audience to think about when they were last outside their comfort zone, suggesting that discomfort is the starting point for learning.
The final message is that anyone can become numerate and achieve almost anything to a decent level if they are willing to embrace discomfort.
The applause at the end signifies the audience's appreciation for the speaker's insights and the importance of the message conveyed.
Transcripts
I'm going to take you back a few years
to your math classroom which I hope
didn't look something like this and I'm
going to ask your maths question and
then I'm going to get one of you to
stand up and tell us all the answer so
what is 17 times 24
now I'm not actually going to get one of
you to stand up because that'll be
horrible and I've put the answer up here
on the board because to stop those of
you who like this kind of thing from
being unable to hear me until you've
worked it out
but for most of you the majority I
suspect to stop that uncomfortable
feeling that it's maybe something like
this or this or this or this everyone
has a physiological response to a
question such as seventeen times
twenty-four your heart rate elevates
your pupils dilate is part of your
so-called fight-or-flight mechanism
which by its nature is uncomfortable
it's great for the original purpose of
preparing you to run away from a lion or
to fight the tribe coming over the next
hill but it's not so great for mental
arithmetic so the easiest response for
many is to fold your arms and say I
can't do that especially when others
seem to always get the answer before you
and there are some real problems that
with the way we conceive of maths here
in the UK in school it's often a very
starkly binary approach with all the
focus on the answer rather than the
process and when you're going through
the process the question either seems
impossible because you haven't worked it
out yet or easy because you just have
which brings to mind Nelson Mandela's
quote that everything seems impossible
until it's done nowhere is this more
glaring than in maths
and inevitably for the majority of
children they'll always be other kids
who seem to get the answer more quickly
and easily than they do while they're
still stuck at the impossible stage an
Oran thew Z Azzam four categorized by
ability at a young age and then put kids
into ability groups or sets creates an
unhelpful divide between those who are
fast at maths at a young age which in
itself is not a great predictor of
future potential Einstein for example
was very slow and those who aren't
so if you're slow you get put in a
bottom or a low set and which kids is it
that often end up in these sets we'll
often those who've had less parental
input or less rich intellectually
stimulating out of school or preschool
experiences in other words nothing to do
with their future potential and we've
got research to show that 85% of kids
who get put in a bottom set for maths
stay there throughout their school
career which is hardly a recipe for
social mobility at national numeracy we
don't believe these children are
actually bad at maths but they start to
see themselves in that way and others
categorize them as such and so maybe
it's slightly logical to kind of give up
on maths and focus your efforts on other
areas where you feel yourself as being
good at or others other people say that
you good at and we think a fundamental
problem with maths here in the UK and
it's also true in the u.s. is our
enthusiasm to categorize current low
attainment as some kind of quasar
genetic low ability the math gene myth
something that simply doesn't happen in
high-performing countries as an example
the OECD asks 15 year olds what does it
take to be successful in maths they
didn't ask the question here in the UK
but in the u.s. 40 percent of kids said
it's about talent you buy the got it or
you haven't in Japan which performs much
more highly 80% of kids said matters
about effort you just need to stick with
it so how does this relate to later life
and does being able to calculate 17
times 24 rapidly really matter I'd argue
not really it's important to know the
answer is going to be about 400 but we
all carry around with us a tool in our
pocket that has more computing power
than it took to get to the moon but and
this is a big but if the formative
moments in your math classroom mean that
I can't do maths is your overwhelming
emotion when you're presented with
numbers and data in adult life then it
really does matter
because it's simply not possible to make
good decisions without engaging with and
potentially manipulating quantitative
information so what kind of things are
we thinking about well potentially
mundane activities such as choosing a
phone contract or planning a journey
socially important activities such as
cooking a meal for your new girlfriend
or boyfriend boring but personal vital
things such as checking your pay
statement or planning your future
finances and I also think it's important
to be able to use numbers and data to
engage effectively as a citizen in a
democracy and yes I absolutely am
thinking about three hundred and fifty
million pounds on the side of a bus but
surely most people just get masks
qualifications at school and that sets
them up just fine
unfortunately that's not the case the
most recent government commissioned
survey of adult skills use questions
such as this one to assess everyday math
levels and that's multiple choice and
also using a calculator remarkably less
than a quarter of those who had got a 2
C at GCSE within the last eight years
were able to answer this kind of
question correctly and across the whole
population that figures 22% so I'm
pretty sure this room is not a
representative sample but if it were
that would just be this little group
down here he's getting worse for
numeracy but getting better for literacy
and it really does matter both for the
UK and for individuals themselves for
the UK a conservative estimate sees poor
numeracy costing the economy twenty
point two billion pounds a year and for
individuals research than the OECD
suggests that good numeracy is the best
protection against unemployment low
wages and poor health more significant
than literacy or any other variable but
they measure so this is an issue for
millions across the country and indeed
across the world but there is a way
forward and it's not about teaching ever
more complex
in schools instead there are three
things that we need to enable everyone
to be confident and competent to use
numbers and data in daily life
the first is value valuing the
importance not so much of the complex
maths in simple situations that you're
often presented with at school but
instead the value of being able to use
normally rather simple maths but to help
you make good decisions in daily life
the second element is belief or mindset
and this is basically shifting from I
can't do maths to I can't do math yet
there is no math gene or to put it
another way we all have the genetic
makeup to become numerous and there's a
growing body of evidence from
neuroscience and behavioral psychology
from the work of Carol Dweck Angela
Duckworth Joe bola Daniel Kahneman 17
times 24 is from him by the way and
indeed our work at national numeracy
that's starting to destroy what Matthew
cyi calls the talent myth something
particularly prevalent around maths and
the final elements is effort what does
it feel like when you don't know what to
do formative moments always start by
being uncomfortable
that's mentally but it also applies
physically we've got to struggle and get
things wrong a lot in order to
eventually succeed
indeed as NASA Nicholas Taleb points out
acute or short-term effort and
discomfort is good or probably even
vital for us and the avoidance of
short-term discomfort leads to chronic
or long-term discomfort and if you buy
that it might be worth thinking about
when was the last time you were outside
your comfort zone and I'm not including
a few seconds nine and a half minutes
ago so to sum up the lesson that we need
to take from the mass classroom is not I
can't do maths but instead that
discomfort is the starting point for any
formative moment or opportunity for
learning and that this is at its most
stark in
so no matter what stage of life you're
at you can reform formative moments if
you need to you can become numerous
indeed you can do almost anything to a
decent level but only if you're prepared
to become comfortable with being
uncomfortable thank you
[Applause]
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