Please tell me your opinion regarding this math problem

[Gandhi]

Because as the people that are going to eventually formally educate this new common core generation I suspect they'd tell you if your goal is to teach mediocre kids how to work a cash register this might be a method meeting that goal. On the other hand I suspect everyone is going to get tripped up advancing to calculus and derivatives and likely way before that. Each math class you take is a building block for the next course, I don't see how teaching this is in anyway going to prepare them for advanced math courses.

Umm if you are doing trig or calc you are using formulas and a calculator. That has nothing to do with doing fast arithmetic or subtraction in your head. These are just basic tricks everyone uses.

 

[dirtypablo]

Its interesting to the see the difference in opinion of those with a heavier math background than those without. Yes its a math 'trick' that makes it easier to do addition or even multiplication in your head. Thats not the point. The point is seeking deeper understanding of numbers and equations, and learning to do math. Its important to understand that doing math is a skill, and developing your own techniques and tricks comes from knowing the rules (in this case knowing that any number can be broken into a sum of other numbers, and that addition is commutative). I am not around kids, so have no idea at what age normal kids can begin to process this, but there is more to this than just an easier way of adding two numbers. And the question should have been worded something like "How can you break this problem down into smaller, easier problems?"

 

[scoopj]

I think it depends on how well the children were prepared ahead of time. It they were taught this new way of thinking about addition and well prepared, then the kid is wrong. If they were ill prepared, then the teacher is to blame. Seems strange to me. Why do we have to change the way we teach basic math? Is this really the best way to teach how to add 5 and 8? What grade is this?

ETA I just asked my 2nd grader "What's 5+8?" and he answered immediately, "13". I figured he did it old school, but when I asked him how he came up with it he said, "I don't know, I guess I did 8+2 then added 3." So maybe he's been indoctrinated by this new evil method. Should I home school?

 

[AlucardNatasrd]

I think a lot of these attempts to teach easier, "natural" or progressive steps often backfire.
When I was in primary school I went from starting off with old school cursive (went to a old British boarding school for missionary's kids. Very old school. Literally), to being forced to regress to block letters, then "advancing" to sloping block letters which trailed off as if they would join (forget the official name) and then a very basic linked script. I was also forced to go back to using a pencil and to get a "pen licence". All this achieved was a thoroughly incomprehensible handwriting where I barely write a letter the same way twice (at least that's my excuse. The system definitely didn't help though).
Similar situation with joining a class where most kids had learnt a phonetic alphabet and spelling phonetically rather than just starting off with regular ABCs. Likewise with learning your multiplication, long division and times tables in broken down, half-arsed, drawn out steps. If it was anything other than an impediment to learning, it was only for kids that belonged in remedial classes anyway.

Teaching cursive is exactly the type of skill which I consider a pons asinorum and which attempts to "reform' always make more difficult.

How do you teach cursive: Teach the kids the letters and make them...practice.

That's it.

It isn't hard, and if your kid is struggling, he almost certainly is stupid or has an undiagnosed learning disability. If the latter, have him treated and then he'll be able to suceed; if the former, well, there's always McDonalds.

But it really is as simple as showing them 26 god damn letters in upper and lower case and drilling them to remember. We don't need intermediary steps. It is not difficult.

Same with reading: Basic phonics -with the real alphabet- is the easiest, most effective way to teach reading.

 

[klimt]

Ok......

So if this question was poorly worded ( we dont know of this was the normal phrasing the students knew) then the question was poorly worded.

Not sure what there is to discuss. Its math.

Right, what was I thinking? What is there to discuss about math?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_mathematics

 

[second sight]

Schools who opt to follow Common Core Standards have negatively affected the futures of countless children as they struggle to learn basic math, English and other critical development skills.

The creator of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Dr. David Pook, recently enlightened a stunned audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics when he announced his true motive behind creating the system.

“The reason why I helped write the standards and the reason why I am here today is that as a white male in society I am given a lot of privilege that I didn’t earn,” Pook stated to the audience.

Pook intentionally helped develop Common Core to end “white privilege,” according to his statement.

Ironically, it has been reported that Common Core is targeting the very children that Pook thought he was equaling the playing field for. Black and Hispanic children have seen lower test scores and have struggled to understand the ridiculously complicated nature of the program.


http://www.libertynews.com/2015/03/...-he-wrote-common-core-to-end-white-privilege/

 

[OldGoat]

Schools who opt to follow Common Core Standards have negatively affected the futures of countless children as they struggle to learn basic math, English and other critical development skills.

The creator of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Dr. David Pook, recently enlightened a stunned audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics when he announced his true motive behind creating the system.

 

[KR811**]

That's a trick question in a way though.

Had the question been how do you make 10 marbles when you have 8 red marbles and 5 blue marbles if would have been ok.

 

[Diamond Jim]

I'm not sure where I heard this but isn't this style, common core, embraced by universities due to a large percentage of kids not being ready for college mathematics when they enter college?

 

[second sight]

I'm not sure where I heard this but isn't this style, common core, embraced by universities due to a large percentage of kids not being ready for college mathematics when they enter college?

probably here, half the posters here act like they work for the administration

 

[rshawneecarbon1]

Critical thinking in math is so fucking stupid. Math is meant to be direct and finished with the easiest way possible.

Edit: Now that I think about it, what I said abouve make no sense. Let me just say common core is fucking stupid.

 

[MicroBrew]

Teaching cursive is exactly the type of skill which I consider a pons asinorum and which attempts to "reform' always make more difficult.

How do you teach cursive: Teach the kids the letters and make them...practice.

That's it.

It isn't hard, and if your kid is struggling, he almost certainly is stupid or has an undiagnosed learning disability. If the latter, have him treated and then he'll be able to suceed; if the former, well, there's always McDonalds.

But it really is as simple as showing them 26 god damn letters in upper and lower case and drilling them to remember. We don't need intermediary steps. It is not difficult.

Same with reading: Basic phonics -with the real alphabet- is the easiest, most effective way to teach reading.

Don't know if you'll notice this post as yours is about 2 months old.

I can't of any utility Cursive has in everyday life.

I grew up writing Cursive and gave it up in my late teens because there was absolutely no use for it. A computer is used for writing papers. If I need write down something I Block Print , aka Print writing. The only time I ever utilize cursive is when signing my name.

What advantage does Cursive have over Print writing? The later is vastly more legible. I rather all doctors/medical pros use Print writing than cursive , because sometimes it is difficult to make out what the heck they wrote.

 

[rshawneecarbon1]

Don't know if you'll notice this post as yours is about 2 months old.

I can't of any utility Cursive has in everyday life.

I grew up writing Cursive and gave it up in my late teens because there was absolutely no use for it. A computer is used for writing papers. If I need write down something I Block Print , aka Print writing. The only time I ever utilize cursive is when signing my name.

What advantage does Cursive have over Print writing? The later is vastly more legible. I rather all doctors/medical pros use Print writing than cursive , because sometimes it is difficult to make out what the heck they wrote.

Cursive is a fantastic waste of time. Maybe spend more time on the there, their, and theyre type words and I wouldnt be so inefficient with them now.

 

[MicroBrew]

Schools who opt to follow Common Core Standards have negatively affected the futures of countless children as they struggle to learn basic math, English and other critical development skills.

The creator of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Dr. David Pook, recently enlightened a stunned audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics when he announced his true motive behind creating the system.

 

[second sight]

How does Common Core end White privilege? It sounds soo outlandish and absurd.

welcome to my world

the quote was from the progressive/liberal fuck that developed it

 

[TheLoneWolf527]

As someone who considers himself good with math and numbers (5 on AP Calculus in high school; 3 CPA Exam sections completed first try) I hate this new math bullshit some places are trying to put in place. It's math. Yes there are times when taking numbers out can make things easier, but we don't need to make basic addition more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Shayo]

Not a clue lol

 

[Stoic1]

The answer isn't important. It's the process that matters

...Let that phrase sink in for a moment...

While I regale you with a true story of my first week in command. As a new company commander myself and the 1SG went to check on a machinegun range that one of my platoons was running. We arrive and start looking around. Everything seems safe. Soldiers are shooting. The Platoon leader is able to brief me on the scores, etc. Everything seems good.

So I head over to the ammo shack. I want to see how many rounds we have left to see if we will be doing a night fire or have enough for re-firers. And when I approach I see 2 privates standing there. There is a dry erase board with tick marks on it - but doesn't seem in use. And there it is. The cardboard slab from an MRE box which has become our tracking mechanism. There are some numbers there. Each one being subtracted by 100 repeatedly. Hmmmmmmmm. I sense danger. So I ask the private (His name is Foegelle in case any of your run across the retard - he was chaptered last week):

"How many rounds do we have left?"

Blank stare. Gears whirling in head. No sounds emanate.

"I see we are using the dry erase board there and that cardboard. How many rounds did we start with?

....

"Well. So we don't know how many rounds we have left? Is that correct?"

1SG is now burning a hole in this private's face. His soliders look like fucking idiots to the new commander. And now the Platoon Sergeant has arrived because he has noticed that the commander has been at the ammo shack far too long. Something must be amiss.

"Okay, so we don't know how many we started with. We don't know how many we have. So lets count these crates and figure it out."

Curiously the 2nd Private disappeared somehow - leaving Fogelle alone. So we count. All of us. Me. The 1SG. The PSG. The private.

Fifty two. Fifty two crates. I ask the private to count it again. Yes. 52 crates.

"So if we have 52 crates, and in each crate has 2 ammo cans of 100 rounds each how many rounds do we have here now?"

Crickets.

Time stops.

Fogelle looks at the dry erase board for a moment. Then back at the cardboard. He picks up a pen and stares. Then takes out his phone - certainly to use the calculator function. Or not. Because he stares at the calculator. Unsure of what function to use. So he picks up the cardboard and writes the number 52. And then....nothing.

We all sat in horror as we now knew what everyone had feared. We are surrounded by fucking idiots with machineguns. I had the problem figured out in my head in about .5 seconds because I was taught fucking multiplication tables as a kid. 10400rounds. Less than a second and I am one of the dumbest most non-math motherfuckers I know.

And I walked away. The 1SG followed. And I am certain whoever was the ammo NCO was nuked by the PSG, and the private was kicked directly in the junk. We got back in the truck and left. We didn't say anything for a long while. The 1SG was just as disappointed as I was.

Here is where it gets interesting.

My wife is a teacher. And as such I tell her all the time that she is to blame for all my fucking retard soldiers. She laughs. I laugh. Because it's funny. What isn't funny is when I started talking to one of her fellow teachers at their school one day. A math teacher. A FUCKING MATH TEACHER!

I ask why they aren't taught multiplication tables. Shes goes into a long speech saying you don't need them. Then I relate my tale of woe. I tell her of the failure on the range. I tell her how absolutely irresponsible it is to churn out these kids who can't math.

And she tells me. With a straight face:


"The answer isn't important. It's the process that matters."


....holy fucking shit. We live in a different world. Because it does matter...It determines how many more motherfuckers we can kill before we run out of bullets...

 

[rshawneecarbon1]

Math is a defined process. Adding this BS is irrelevant.

You learn how to add/subtract/multiple. Why make it any more difficult and confusing then that. Once you hit Algebra its confusing enough for most. Why add in a bunch of words? The process is all that matters. Adding in all the bulshit just confuses people.

If you want kids to think outside the box, there are other classes where this can be accomplished. Something like Math and grammar isnt it.

I never learned all that bullshit and I can add and subtract in my head just fine. You do it enough, it just comes natural to find the simplest way possible. Trying to teach your way into the simplest way is fucked and confusing. Thats not how the human brain works. Let the human brain do its thing naturally.

 

[spin]

Don't know if you'll notice this post as yours is about 2 months old.

I can't of any utility Cursive has in everyday life.

I grew up writing Cursive and gave it up in my late teens because there was absolutely no use for it. A computer is used for writing papers. If I need write down something I Block Print , aka Print writing. The only time I ever utilize cursive is when signing my name.

What advantage does Cursive have over Print writing? The later is vastly more legible. I rather all doctors/medical pros use Print writing than cursive , because sometimes it is difficult to make out what the heck they wrote.

i'm one of the few with nice, legible cursive. it's so ingrained i'm actually awkward at printing. if its not on line paper its all over the place and uneven.