For 50% of them, it's because they think this is six inches:
It sounds as though the liberals’, “There Is No Wrong Answer” Math system isn’t working out. LOL!
Thats the truth.
They do not want the kids to learn too quickly, they’d all be out of cushy jobs.
The “new” math came out for us in the late 60s, early 70s in florida. It’s why I can barely add 2 + 2 and get 5.
It would disqualify them from government jobs and those are the only ones being created.
New Math was mostly the result of dumbed down teachers, who didn’t know HOW to teach.
They wanted a shortcut. A ‘new’ and ‘easier’ way to do math.
Sorry, there is only one way.
pingaroo
Math be “acting white”.
A kid educated in the 1930’s to the 8th grade level is smater than 90% of all High School Graduates today when it comes to the Math, History, English, and Science.
Sad to say but true.
When I read this, I can’t figure out (no pun intended) whether the problem is Math or English.
Old Math Ping
Wow. I remember that from the mid 1970s. There was an obsession with the difference between the numerals and numbers, which really wasn't appropriate for 2nd and 3rd graders. Similary, there was waaaaay too much set theory which we spent weeks on, which could be cranked out in a couple of days in high school but little kids just aren't ready for it.
“On page 13 the authors boast, “The language and ideas of sets are begun in kindergarten and carried through all further study of mathematics as a unifying thread.””
I don't see what's wrong with this in principle. All of these are deeply important and fundamental concepts in math and science (except modular arithemetic, which I don't recognize). Perhaps elementary school is too early. But I homeschool. And my son understands condititional probabilities and algebraic inequalities in 4th grade. The amount of time between 1st and 6th grade for math allows for MUCH more material beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions.
What is wrong with teaching set theory? It's straightforward and very important.
None of these subject matters introduce subjective, no wrong answer, type concepts. There is always a right answer and a wrong answer when you OR two boolean numbers. There is a right answer when you union two sets.
That said, there is a huge difference between the idea and the implementation of the idea. Obviously, the education establishment goofed up badly in implementing these ideas.
NONE of our kids have mastered phonics. Some do not know even the basic letter sounds. Many do not know the sounds for common phonic combinations such as “ing”, “str”, “th” etc. There parents can not help them with this because Spanish is far more straight forward in its spelling an pronunciation that Spanish. If the Anglo kids in the county are learning phonics it because their parents are knowingly or unknowingly teaching phonics in the home, or paying for expensive tutoring.
Arithmetic is a DISGRACE! None of the kids know their math facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. None know any algorithm for addition and subtraction. None are able to carry the value of 10 from the ten's column to the one’s column.
A few weeks ago, I tutored a twelve year old with her fraction homework. She had been assigned about 40 problems of adding and subtraction mixed fractions.
**She did not know what the numerator and denominator represented.
** She added and subtracted with her fingers.
** To multiply and divide she drew little dots on the page to group.
** She did not know any algorithm for either multiplication or division.
** She did not know any of the addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division math facts.
In other words, her so-called “professional” teacher sent her home with homework that was IMPOSSIBLE for her to do. This is EDUCATIONAL MALPRACTICE AND CHILD ABUSE! It is no different than taking a beginner skier to the top of the mountain and pushing them off a double black diamond trail!
Why would a “professional” teacher mistreat a child in this way????
The tension on the faces of these children is plain to see. Every day is a day of failure in school. Every evening is a exercise in frustration. And...They get pressure from their parents who wrongly believe that American schools use similar methods that they ( the parents) enjoyed in their Third World primitive ( but effective) schools! The parents are utterly befuddled that their children are doing so poorly.
I am CONVINCED that the government schools in my county are nothing but education abuse factories. If any Anglo child is learning it is because his parents are AFTERSCHOOLING!!! Any learning a child picks up it entirely due to his parents efforts in teaching the basics and his own hard work IN THE HOME!!!
In the past, when a child who did not speak English entered school, he repeated the year. This gave the child a chance to learn English and then the following year he was able to proceed and move forward again with his education. Now, those who can not speak English are put in the grade that corresponds to their age. This **guarantees** that the child will NOT be able to keep up with the class, and it is very likely that he will NEVER catch up! Is this dumb or what?
Finally...This girl that I tutored was given 40 problems as homework. That would have been my homeschooling children's assignment for the ENTIRE DAY! Essentially what our schooled children are doing is going to school all day, and then being asked to do HOMESCHOOLING again in the evening! If a child has to do as much homework as my homeschoolers did all day, then what point is there in sending a kid to school???
( not proof read)
Calculators and Computers, that’s why. Takes away the need for rote memorization, but that’s how a lot of math concepts become ingrained.
Makes perfect sense to me and I'm not a math guy.
For 50% of them, it's because they think this is six inches:
This is how they tried to teach me. I was completely confused and my parents did not understand how to help me. They taught me arithmetic and it has served me well. I have a deep mistrust of the educational system to this day from my bad experience with the “New Math and Educational System.” I never went to high school, I got my GED and have done very well.
ping
“New math” is still screwing up millions of kids today under the name “Reform” - many states have adopted the NCTM standards which amount to the same thing. I call it Moonbat Math. Kids taught under this system never actually learn to do any math, but they do learn to manipulate blocks really well.