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The History of Math Instruction

P

psyktek

Frugal Old Fart!
Joined
Jul 12, 2003
Messages
2,248
Last week I purchased a burger for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2
and I
was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave
it
to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while
looking at
the screen on her register.


I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two
quarters,
but she hailed the manager for help.


While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and
cried.


Why do I tell you this?


Please read more about the "history of teaching math":


Teaching Math In 1950


A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
is
4/5 of the price. What is his profit?


Teaching Math In 1960


A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
is
4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?


Teaching Math In 1970


A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
is
$80. Did he make a profit?


Teaching Math In 1980


A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
is
$80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.


Teaching Math In 1990


By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do
you
think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation
after
answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as
the
logger cut down the trees. (There are no wrong answers.)


Teaching Math In 2005


El hachero vende un camion carga por $100. La cuesta de production
es.............



And we wonder why jobs requiring intelligence are being outsourced?? :sign: :sign: :sign:
 
TRUE TRUE TRUE.....

It's probably like this everywhere, but you need to speak 5 different languages in NYC just to go to the grocery store.

And DUMB !!!!!!

Don't even get me started about how dumb people are.......
 
don't EVEN get me started on dumb people... driving a fire truck reveals alot of them tome... :angry:
 
Swissy said:
driving a fire truck reveals alot of them tome... :angry:
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or even "To Me"...

<grin>

That said, the problem is horrible and increasing. Math, a basic skill, is often ignored and the excuse is "the child just isn't a math person..."

I tutored my 16 yr old niece in basic math while she lived with me for a year, and in a matter of months she progressed to basic Algebra and all I had to do was actually "teach" her the math. In 10 yrs of school, she had never actually learned the skills for basic math.
 
Wow! It's tough when you hit the Peter Principled at the burger counter. :0
 
I was thinking the same thing but didn't know how many would get the reference.

MonkeyK said:
Wow! It's tough when you hit the Peter Principle at the burger counter. :0
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The sad part of that story is - the kids don't understand why they need amth in the first place (or, for the benefit of CoventryCat - English). My kids are no exception. I try as best as I can to explain the importance of schooling, knowing full well I didn't want to study when I was their age. I'd rather be out hanging out with my friends than studying.

The sad part is a fair number of these kids go to college. They spend a further four years studying the "90's" questions you listed above. And then come out of college and can't spell or add.

I took some very advanced math and science classes recently in college. Several of my instructors were graduates of the University of Illinois Engineering program (one of the best in the country), and were very much old school. You did you homework COMPLETELY, including vector diagrams, stating the problem, and forming the solution. It had to be done in a format that was prescribed by the instructor. Having been the product of the 70's, I still had some of the study habits taught to me back then. And I also had a respect for the instructor that I did not see with a number of the younger students. These younger students would turn in homework in some random order, work was sloppy and half complete, without vector diagrams, different color ink or pencils, diferent kinds of paper for multiple paged assignmemnts, etc. If I were the instructor, I would have no way of making any sense from what was turned in. When those student would get their work back, they'd spend an hour arguing with the instructor over the questions and the answers, like they were some kind of right... What a pathetic and scary situation, in my opinion. I'd venture to say the counter girl probably has a bachelor's degree...
 
As a former engineering student as well, we were told to follow the professors instructions to the letter, no exceptions. If we deviated, automatic failure, no questions asked. I am an '80's college grad, kind of caught in the middle of the examples in the first post. I had some old school professors, as much of a pain as they were, I appreciate it now more than ever.
Fast foward to 2005, my wife is finishing up her bachelors degree at the state college, she comes home telling me about a student arguing with the teacher on her teaching methods and how she should do it this way, and this is stupid, when am i going to use this in real life crap. Typical "I know more than anyone else, including the teacher" attitude.
My point is, we have all heard about the dumbing down of the american society, now you can actually view it, free of charge, in any of your local stores or retail establishments. Anyone been to the local big box home improvment store with a name that sound like gnome sleepo? Like another poster said, everyone wonders why companies outsource....
Disclaimer-I do not claim to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. :whistling: :whistling:
 
i'm unfortunatly not a college grad, but being aproduct of the 90's highschool teaching i can say this is very true, my math education was crap. absolute crap. My education in general was mediocre, as some of the people above have stated, apathy, and arrogance ran very high among the students. which created a double problem, uncaring teachers. something needs to be done soon about it.
 
evilphish said:
i'm unfortunatly not a college grad, but being aproduct of the 90's highschool teaching i can say this is very true, my math education was crap. absolute crap. My education in general was mediocre, as some of the people above have stated, apathy, and arrogance ran very high among the students. which created a double problem, uncaring teachers. something needs to be done soon about it.
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As a teacher I can tell you from experience that the biggest problem is students with a sense of entitlement and parents that cater to that sense of entitlement. Everything is the teacher's fault and the student never takes responsibility for anything.
 
As a teacher I can tell you from experience that the biggest problem is students with a sense of entitlement and parents that cater to that sense of entitlement. Everything is the teacher's fault and the student never takes responsibility for anything.
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ya thats pretty much what i saw, my class wasn't too bad, it was mostly the sophmores and the newer classes, i'm still pretty good friends with my old physics teacher and he is saying its getting worse with each class. I dunno, i was brought up to respect teachers. its kinda sad whats happening.
 
As a teacher I can tell you from experience that the biggest problem is students with a sense of entitlement and parents that cater to that sense of entitlement.  Everything is the teacher's fault and the student never takes responsibility for anything.
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I was not a teacher but very closely involved with the school system for many years, and our district was working diligently to build that sense of entitlement in students 10 years ago. I couldn't believe what they were doing when I saw it, you could read the writing on the wall. My son was in Elementary school at the time and suffered throughout High School with this sense of entitlement.

:cool:
 
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