I’ve noticed that the teachers of fractions tend to make a strong distinction between division and ratios, but I haven’t entirely understood why. In my mind, ratios and division are intimately related, even inextricably so. However, my reflections on the abstract unit has brought me to a realization that there is one significant difference between…
Month: May 2015
Philosophical Natterings: Abstraction
Background One of the thoughts I find myself returning to frequently is this: There is the belief shared among high school mathematics teachers that the struggle students have with algebra is that it’s the first time they’re exposed to abstraction. This isn’t true. The first abstraction in mathematics comes at such an early age, and…