Teaching Math

[Gonz]

From an email my wife got.

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King 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 exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set of "M" of money. The
cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100
dots representing the elements of the set "M." The set "C," the cost of
production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as
a subset of set "M." Answer this question: What is the cardinality of the
set "P" of profits?

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 2000
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is
$120. How does Arthur Anderson determine that his profit margin is $60?

Teaching Math In 2005
El hachero vende un camion carga por $100. La cuesta de production
es.............

 

[PT]

*Chuckle.

 

[BlurOfSerenity]

oh man. true.
i have so many rants on the teaching of math.
like... calculators.
i have not learned a damned bit of math in the past 5 years. why? because my teachers always make me use the calculator. when i try to actually, god forbid, LEARN the math by doing it out by hand, i get yelled at for holding the class up.
hence, every math class i've taken in in recent years has taught me NOTHING.
calculators make people stupid.

 

[Inkara1]

I find it funny too on thesurface, but deep down I don't because I went to California public schools and experienced this first-hand. Especially the last part in Spanish. The elementary school I went to for 3rd through 5th grade is now a "dual immersion" school, meaning the school has more taught in Spanish than in English. Article on this and how the Spanish-speakers aren't learning English as well as the English-speakers are learning Spanish. The odd part about it is that, according to the article, the program has also been partially implemented at Flamson Middle School, where I attended 6th through 8th grade. What's odd is that for some of the students, History and Language Arts are taught in Spanish. Now, when I went there, Language Arts is what they called the English class. So now I guess they're teaching English in Spanish.