Why bother with math when you have AI at your fingertips? The surprising answers given by a young teacher
In a world where artificial intelligence takes over more and more automated tasks, and apps and algorithms quickly manage calculations and formulas, we might think that the role of mathematics is becoming less and less important. In fact, teachers say, its role is not diminishing, but changing, and mathematics is becoming, more than before, an essential tool for critical thinking and decision-making. In this interview, Professor Liliana Mitre, assistant professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics in Bucharest, explains why this subject is important for any student, how children can really understand it and why the idea that some students “are not made for mathematics” is, in fact, a label that limits their chances. She admits that there are children with dyscalculia (difficulty working with numbers and calculations), and for them the school is obliged to adapt teaching and assessment. But, except for such situations, with a good teacher in the classroom, children should not feel that math is a pain.
Liliana Miter, who is also the co-founder of SuperSchool, a platform with video lessons for students, also talks about how the current generations learn math effectively: not only with pencil and paper, but also with interactive games and online tools. She advises parents not to minimize the role of mathematics in the child's life, even when he is convinced that he will follow a career unrelated to this discipline: in any career, says the teacher, the skills acquired in mathematics class will be of great use.
All About Moms: You've been teaching math for two decades. How has the way children relate to this subject and the interest in it changed recently?
Professor Liliana Mitre: In recent years I have noticed an increase in interest in mathematics. Probably, in the age of technology, parents and students realize that mathematics is one of the engines behind the evolution in all fields. Math is all around us, even more so in the digital world that children are so connected to. Algorithms have behind them all logic, numbers, calculations. Mathematics also appeals because it offers access to a diverse range of specializations, all of which have a good prognosis of being in high demand in the years to come. First of all, because it develops skills needed in most jobs: logical thinking and the ability to make correct reasoning are very important, wherever you work. Then, the development of technology still requires people who know mathematics and know how to apply it in different fields.
Read the rest of the interview HERE.
