When Are We Ever Going To Use This?

I would be willing to bet that every math teacher has heard this question from their students: “When are we ever going to use this?” I would also assume, even if this question is not verbalized, that most students will at least consider it from time to time. It is a reasonable question and one that should be addressed.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator.
After attending the Bronx High School of Science, he went on to major in Physics at
Harvard University, earned a Master’s Degree in Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin, and completed his Ph.D. in Astrophysics at Columbia University in New York.

Neil created a short video that captures a very articulate response to the question posed
above. When someone as accomplished as Neil speaks about learning math, it
would be beneficial to pay attention to what he has to say. I absolutely embrace his words:
“…that is, the value of education is not how much information they can pour into your
head. It is how equipped you are to explore the world on your own after you get out”.

I am retired, but if I was still in the classroom, I would share this video with my
students, likely sometime in the first week of classes. Students need to hear this. Educators
have an opportunity to create an inner motivation, along with a degree of trust and
acceptance that the mathematics being learned has value. I am not saying that every
student will understand and appreciate what Neil has to offer. But I do believe that it will
go a long way towards relating to student challenges and developing a sense that teachers and students share the math journey together.