I have always been horrible at math, but somehow a great programmer. I have found that writing a computer program that demonstrates a certain mathematical concept enables me to better understand the concept. I'm a psych major and I brought this up once in the research lab I've been working in. My prof said he recalls that someone did research and/or created a system in which a student writes a computer program that is pertinent to a certain mathematical concept and upon completion is given the regular math problem (as it would appear in a math class). This enables the student to better understand the math problem, solve, and learn math. Has anyone heard of this or anything similar? A learning system such as this would be a blessing to my education. Thanks.
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On what basis is it that introductory courses stress avoiding a centered composition? [more inside]
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When I read the biographies of artists I admire, they always seem to start with lines like "began playing the piano at 5", "got first drumkit at 7", and so forth. Every great musician I've known personally got started at a very young age, usually before age 12. Have there been any successful (defined here as having produced music enjoyed by a significant number of people) who came to music relatively late in life? Past 18? 30? 40?
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Teaching question: how do I help a student whose mind wanders? [more inside]
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