jdhmnovel Chapter 1466 County School Mathematics Teaching
Chapter 1466 County School Mathematics Teaching
Sun Shan not only sent his meticulously edited "Sun's Mathematical Studies" to the county school, but also personally lectured at the county school.
Instructor Deng grasped Sun Shan's hand excitedly, his eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Sir, you really came to the county school to give lectures?"
When Sun Shan had free time, he would review students' essays. He only went to the county school to give lectures when he first took office, and he never went again.
Sun Shan nodded: "I should at least explain to my students how to learn the arithmetic I've written."
He paused, then added, "Actually, it's not just arithmetic; we should also be familiar with laws and regulations. These are the areas where we can grasp the rules, read them fluently, and recite them from memory. They are the areas where we ordinary students can score points, and we can't afford to lose them."
Instructor Deng grunted in acknowledgment and said respectfully, "Yes, sir, I'll be waiting for you at the county school."
Not long after Deng Jiaoyu arrived, Sun Shan went to the county school to give a lecture on the third day.
With gentle breezes and bright sunshine, the scenery is beautiful everywhere, making it the best season of the year for reading.
As soon as Sun Shan stepped into the county school, the students all sat down in unison.
Even scholars like Bai Xiucai, Wang Jiaxing, and Zhong Xiucai, who were enjoying good food and drink at home, rushed from their homes to the county school. Some students who were preparing for the county examinations were also there.
Sun Shan looked at the students in the classroom, a dense crowd, and felt very gratified.
Yuanlu has many students, which means there is great hope. At this moment, I am full of confidence in the education evaluation.
When the students and the instructor saw Sun Shan arrive, they quickly bowed and greeted him, saying, "We greet Your Excellency, the County Magistrate."
Sun Shan gestured for everyone to sit down and picked up "Sun's Mathematical Studies," a book entirely handwritten and published.
With a slight smile, she said kindly, "Everyone, thank you for coming to listen to my lecture today. Please forgive me if my lecture is not thorough enough."
Such a humble opening remark made the students' eyes light up.
Eager to show loyalty: "It's not hard work, it's not hard work."
Even if it's tough, you have to say it's not tough.
Sun Shan was not only a county magistrate, but also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). To have a Jinshi give a lecture was like finding a treasure.
Sun Shan picked up his mathematics book again and continued, "Everyone, I'll tell you the truth. In the provincial examinations, the metropolitan examinations, and even in regular exams, I always excelled in mathematics. I have a deep understanding of mathematics."
Whether at the prefectural school or Yuelu Academy, not only my classmates consulted me, but even the teachers sought my guidance. Gentlemen, as long as you read the mathematics book I've compiled, you'll be more than capable of handling the prefectural and provincial examinations.”
The students stared wide-eyed at Sun Shan.
Goodness gracious, this is the first time I've ever heard a lecturer be so arrogant.
The students couldn't help but wonder, was Lord Sun really as powerful as he claimed?
Even the teachers at Yuelu Academy sought his advice.
Looking at the pairs of puzzled eyes, Sun Shan continued, "Everyone, I've always been very troubled by why there are so few points allocated to mathematics in the imperial examinations. If there were more, my ranking would definitely improve significantly. It's a pity there are so few arithmetic questions."
Upon hearing this, some test takers with a low threshold for laughter couldn't help but burst into laughter.
For example, the lively and energetic skinny scholar Bai said eagerly, "Sir, my poetry and prose are also quite good, but it's a pity that there was only one question in the provincial examination. Oh dear, if there were more questions, I might have passed the exam this time."
Upon hearing this, the students who knew Bai Xiucai couldn't help but roll their eyes.
One of them was Wang Jiaxing: "Scholar Bai, are you bragging to Lord Sun? When it comes to poetry and prose, I am far superior to you."
These words were met with a chorus of boos.
Instructor Deng's face turned pale. He coughed and said sternly, "Silence, silence, please listen to Lord Sun's lecture."
The classroom fell silent instantly.
Although Instructor Deng's appearance was more amiable than Lord Sun's, their personalities were completely opposite.
Lord Sun was much more lively and active than Instructor Deng. At least Lord Sun could still joke around, unlike Instructor Deng.
Oh my, don't even joke about it, you have to crouch down to even walk past him.
Sun Shan glanced at the quiet, timid student and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
With a calm expression, he said, "Everyone, I will now tell you about the process and rules of compiling my mathematics book."
Sun Shan combined the current content of mathematics textbooks, examples, applications, and exam questions.
Using the logical framework of mathematics in nine-year compulsory education, the textbook constructs a complete system of "basic concepts - formulas and theorems - thinking methods - comprehensive applications" with the logic of "knowledge spiraling upward and thinking gradually deepening".
It follows a systematic logic of "from shallow to deep, connecting the past and the future, and reinforcing through cycles".
It also helps students discover that mathematics is not "boring formulas and calculations," but rather "the joy of exploring patterns, the sense of accomplishment in solving problems, and the witness to the growth of thinking."
For example, when Sun Shan compiled his mathematical treatise, he first gave the concepts, then the formulas and theorems, then wrote out the derivation process, and finally provided examples of various exam questions.
Sun Shan had accumulated a lot of imperial examination papers, so he was able to accurately deduce theorems from the mathematical problems on those papers.
Mathematics is the foundation of all disciplines, and Sun Shan also wanted mathematics to develop.
Unfortunately, the students who entered the county school were all aiming for the imperial examinations, so they had no choice but to learn mathematics according to the requirements of the exam questions.
Sun Shan only hoped to leave behind a seed of mathematics so that it could take root and sprout in future generations.
Sun Shan explained the math problems in the book to the students in this and that way.
When discussing the principle of proportion, he led a group of students outdoors.
He smiled and said, "Dear students, we just learned about the principle of proportion. Now we will use this principle to measure the height of the tree."
The students' eyes blinked, staring at Sun Shan in surprise.
They were listening attentively in the classroom, but in just a short while, the setting changed to measuring the height of a tree.
Sun Shan continued, "Measuring the height of a tree is just a small example of how we apply mathematics in our daily lives. Mathematics is used in so many ways in our lives; if you observe carefully, you'll surely notice it."
If Sun Shan hadn't mentioned it, the students wouldn't have thought about it in that way.
Their application of mathematics was limited to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; buying and selling things; or, at worst, bookkeeping and working as an accountant.
I usually think that mathematics is not very useful, as it consists of abstract concepts.
What's the point of the "chicken and rabbit in the same cage" problem? In real life, just put the rabbits and chickens in separate containers and count them; you're guaranteed to get the correct number.
There's no need to calculate it in such a complicated way; it's a complete waste of time.
Sun Shan led the students to a tree that was neither too big nor too small, several heads taller than a person, and said, "Everyone, I have just explained the principle of proportion to you. Now, here comes the practical lesson: you are required to measure the height of this tree."
This was the students' first time attending a practical math class, and they were all completely bewildered.
Where would they get the measurements?
Wang Jiaxing ran forward, raised his hand, and answered the question: "Sir, this tree isn't very tall. We can just have someone hold it up and set up a ladder to measure it."
With a slight upturn of his eyes, he looked smugly at Sun Shan, seeking praise.
Without any hesitation, Sun Shan slapped Wang Jiaxing on the shoulder with a ruler.
Wang Jiaxing: ...
I feel extremely wronged.
The onlookers burst into laughter.