Today, I have the pleasure to bring you part of a interview I had with the mathematician Jose Antonio Fernandez, the first algebra teacher I had.
Q:It´s been a long time since you teached me how to work with matrixes.. Have you changed something in the way you present algebra to your students?
A:Not much, I always try to show them algebra as a game, and I teach how to play with matrixes, that´s why many of my students learn without effort.
Q: How important do you think is algebra in real world?
A:Well, as I´m an algebra teacher, my answer it´s obvious, but the applications are there, everyone can look for them in internet, if anyone thinks it´s a waste of time, I would recommend that guy to leave the engineering, it is essential for an engineer to be comfortable in the use of algebra, as many of the asnwer you guys will find in the future are there, but you need to know where to look for them.
Q:What would you say to someone that is not good at algebra?
A: Algebra is not difficult at all, its a matter of work, of daily work, like almost all the subjects. When you study this subject day by day (at the beginnign it can be hard) you start to understand things, like a wheel that starts to turn.
Q:After having taught for more than 40 years, what are you going to do now?
A: I´ve been thinking these years a lot... And I have finally decide to spend my time in writing books, I´ve always respected the writers, there is a lot of work behind every book.
My apologies about the shortness of the interview, but we didn´t have time for much more. Hope you like it anyway! See you!
Brief but full of content interview! Very interesting to see his point of view about the importance for us, engineers. I hope later on our degree we can learn much of its utility in our professional career.
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