Posted on 03/28/2016 5:07:09 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Who needs algebra?
That question muttered by many a frustrated student over the years has become a vigorous debate among American educators, sparked by a provocative new book that argues required algebra has become an unnecessary stumbling block that forces millions to drop out of high school or college.
One out of 5 young Americans does not graduate from high school. This is one of the worst records in the developed world. Why? The chief academic reason is they failed ninth-grade algebra, said political scientist Andrew Hacker, author of The Math Myth and Other STEM Delusions.
Hacker, a professor emeritus at Queens College, argues that, at most, only 5 percent of jobs make use of algebra and other advanced math courses. He favors a curriculum that focuses more on statistics and basic numbers sense and less on (y 3)2 = 4y 12.
Will algebra help you understand the federal budget? he asked.
(Excerpt) Read more at bigstory.ap.org ...
Why? Simple.
Most countries in the developed world do not have universal academic high school.
In 1941, the white HS graduation rate was 25%. That's probably close to the natural result (school not required, only for students with motivation and interest).
If 80% (four out of 5) young Americans now graduate from high school, at least 50% of the diplomas, and probably more, are fraudulent.
Algebra is what separates us from the apes. Basic algebra is not hard if taught properly - I blame the current methods of teaching math in elementary school. It’s a wonder any kids can add 2 plus 2 when they get to middle school.
algebra isn’t about jobs, it’s about learning to use what you do know to find what you don’t.
I'm surprised that anyone would think algebra is useless in schools. I had to build multiple retaining walls and stairs in my back yard last fall. Algebra was necessary for calculating the materials I needed to buy, and for calculating the cuts and angles for the boards and posts. Everything worked out perfectly, the rise and run of the steps, distance from top level to lower levels, drain piping etc.
Kids just want to be dumb and useless. Sadly, administrators of schools are allowing them to become useless dregs on society.
I always had problem with the kings math
Fractions, quarts liters stones hands...
Even England cant get on the metric system and we are woefully behind them. LOL
The currency works on base 10 so whats this hands and frictions BS?
fractions
1/4 =.25 to me
If Tsoukalos' Aliens were to gift century's of math advances, it would not be as damaging as bequeathing finished technology---humans would still have to interpret, then apply an understanding of the math.
This helps mitigate a human cultural collapse prompted by an encounter with a much more technically advanced culture.
Then we learn other base systems but base 2 is linked to base 10
Then we learn bits and bytes and octal then its Hex
Then an Imperial gallon is different than a US gallon.
So confusing
Boolean is the core of decision.
YES? No.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking enhanced for Morse type coding schemes. Just a substitution of binary characters for the letters.
CTM or other flavor?
This is the old 1975 calculator which still works. I have taken to using it for more simple tasks as it is very user friendly and the green led is easy on the eyes.
Something like a Nixie tube.
Same here, except I liked geometry instead of algebra. I don’t get it either. Drop algebra and teach mandatory basic economics, business and the stock market. The same for cursive writing, why not something useful like shorthand from an early age? Of course technology makes that useless.
The other side of this is that supposedly teaching algebra makes you think like nothing else will, by discipline or whatever. I don’t know if I buy that. But yeah it’s plausible that thinking in ways that aren’t used often is beneficial. But I’m not sure there isn’t something similar, but that will be more useful in everyday life.
Freegards
Or used a punch to encode on cards.
Now that I think about it, the display is a liquid crystal display. they use up battery space fairly quickly but for all the uses I put it to, they will last a year at least. Mostly balancing the checkbook.
CTM
Gonna ask an old CTT this week.
Not a pressing concern so much as a curiosity.
Gnight FRiend
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