[Music] [Applause] One out of every 20 high school students drop out before graduation. 8% of college students change their major at least once and about 1% of the US population earn a doctoral degree. Based on this information, what would you say is the likelihood of someone who dropped out of high school earning a doctorate. What would you say is the likelihood of someone who started college as a costume design major becoming a math professor.Your gut subjectively, even without all those numbers, but with ...

Mathematics Education Challenges - Traditional math education relies heavily on coercion and requirements, potentially undermining creative use of math in STEM fields [16][18] - Using mathematics as a gatekeeper and intelligence test leads to adverse consequences, including math anxiety [13][20] - Students often question the relevance of required math courses, highlighting a need for better justification [14][15] Proposed Solutions - Reduce math requirements to the absolute minimum necessary for practical life skills [24] - Replace coercion with persuasion and enticement to foster genuine interest in mathematics [25] - Stop using math for gatekeeping or intelligence testing to alleviate anxiety and improve learning [25] Alternative Teaching Approach - An advanced special topics class with minimal coercion shows greater student engagement [27][28] - The goal is to improve students' ability to use mathematics creatively and appreciate its value [28]