WALTHAM -- Eileen Herlihy said in the United States students are taught how to solve math problems and then learn through repetition.
That makes it difficult for people to apply math in the real world, according to Herlihy, which is why summer workshops on the subject being held in Waltham are so important.
"We're showing teachers to see the value of going beyond mathematical procedures and skills to get to the problem solving," said Herlihy, Waltham's mathematics director. "It benefits the student because it makes math more robust for them and turns it into an interesting experience."
