[Liberty1970]

I’m having trouble mentally digesting this. What do they mean, don’t understand the equal sign? What alternatives, what misunderstandings about it, can you possibly have??

[UCANSEE2]

I think this all started when they recalled the word “IS”.

[sonofagun]

I’m having trouble mentally digesting this. What do they mean, don’t understand the equal sign? What alternatives, what misunderstandings about it, can you possibly have??

"equal" opportunity means affirmative action quotas.

"equal" rights means being able to use the race card at will.

"equal" access means handicapped parking spaces and building entrance ramps.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I don't know, but maybe it means that atudents don't understand that things that are equal mean literally the same thing. 1/2 and 50% and 0.5 and 750/1500 "equal" each other, are interchangeable in practice, designate exactly the same value, the same number, measurement, or quantity, and in equations produce exactly the same answers.

Is that it?

Otherwise, I'm flubbity-dubbity-dub-bub-dub...

[KarlInOhio]

One example they give in the article is of students misunderstanding the equal sign to mean "calculate the results" like it means on the calculator.

"Students who have learned to memorize symbols and who have a limited understanding of the equal sign will tend to solve problems such as 4+3+2=( )+2 by adding the numbers on the left, and placing it in the parentheses, then add those terms and create another equal sign with the new answer," he explains. "So the work would look like 4+3+2=(9)+2=11.

That should take 5 minutes in class to correct that error. Now what are you going to teach during the other 45 minutes of math class?