# Friday math movie - Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover

By Murray Bourne, 28 May 2010

Math is boring?

No, but many math classes (and text books) are boring, and it doesn't have to be so.

Dan Meyer points out some of the problems with the mind-numbing way math is often taught, and provides some suggestions on how to change that.

As his blurb says:

Today's math curriculum is teaching students to expect -- and excel at -- paint-by-numbers classwork, robbing kids of a skill more important than solving problems: formulating them.

Be the first to comment below.

### Comment Preview

HTML: You can use simple tags like <b>, <a href="...">, etc.

To enter math, you can can either:

1. Use simple calculator-like input in the following format (surround your math in backticks, or qq on tablet or phone):
a^2 = sqrt(b^2 + c^2)
(See more on ASCIIMath syntax); or
2. Use simple LaTeX in the following format. Surround your math with $$ and $$.
$$\int g dx = \sqrt{\frac{a}{b}}$$
(This is standard simple LaTeX.)

NOTE: You can mix both types of math entry in your comment.