Yes, this is a concern. You wouldn't expect someone to compete athletically without training first.
I like the "gamification" aspect, and would prefer to frame this as self-competition.
The same "being beat down at math again" reaction can be turned around into "OMG I'm getting better at math" with some empathy and debugging. It's a wonderful thing to see.
I have students who can't do exponents and have trouble answering 3 x 5. We're trying to teach them symbolic and linear algebra. Dur. No wonder they can't keep up.
I can debug the exponents deficits (integer exponents) in about 3 hours with a small group. Perhaps another session for radicals and fractional exponents.
It's somewhat addictive, to see them realize "I don't have to suck at math".
The same "being beat down at math again" reaction can be turned around into "OMG I'm getting better at math" with some empathy and debugging. It's a wonderful thing to see.
It really is.
I have students who can't do exponents and have trouble answering 3 x 5. We're trying to teach them symbolic and linear algebra. Dur. No wonder they can't keep up.
I think the thing to keep in mind is symbolic math and 3 x 5 are almost completely different tasks.
We lump them together under "math" but I've met many teachers who are excessively attached to these false dependencies.
I'd love to bring back Euclid himself and sit him down in one of these third grade classrooms and see how he does on the Mad Minute. It's not like he knew how to do long division or anything. :-P
I can debug the exponents deficits (integer exponents) in about 3 hours with a small group. Perhaps another session for radicals and fractional exponents.
It's somewhat addictive, to see them realize "I don't have to suck at math".
I like the "gamification" aspect, and would prefer to frame this as self-competition.
The same "being beat down at math again" reaction can be turned around into "OMG I'm getting better at math" with some empathy and debugging. It's a wonderful thing to see.
I have students who can't do exponents and have trouble answering 3 x 5. We're trying to teach them symbolic and linear algebra. Dur. No wonder they can't keep up.
I can debug the exponents deficits (integer exponents) in about 3 hours with a small group. Perhaps another session for radicals and fractional exponents.
It's somewhat addictive, to see them realize "I don't have to suck at math".