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Math Pop Quiz Stumps Teacher Union Head
Daily News ^
| December 28
| Erin Einhorn
Posted on 12/30/2006 9:36:31 AM PST by achilles2000
Math pop quiz stumps Randi
BY ERIN EINHORN DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Talk about a high-stakes test. The radio audience was live and the question for teachers union president Randi Weingarten involved sixth-grade math: "What's 1/3rd plus 1/4th?"...
Mike Pesca, who was filling in for Lehrer, introduced the show's education topic by saying American college grads can't do basic math while high school grads in Canada and middle-schoolers in India have no trouble.
After Weingarten stumbled, another guest quickly produced the correct answer: 7/12ths, leaving Weingarten to explain herself.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arithmetic; education; math; maths; nea; schools; teachersunions
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To: achilles2000
Thanks for this thread. Glad to know that being in my late forties, I can still do simple math in my head.
jm
21
posted on
12/30/2006 9:57:23 AM PST
by
JockoManning
(http://www.klove.com listen online)
To: secretagent
"First you have to find a dominator."
Been looking all my life & Mrs Felis is as close as I've gotten...
To: Enterprise
It depends??? Ah, the new subjective math! Holy Lowest Common Denominator, Batman, the answer lies in her rise to power!
23
posted on
12/30/2006 10:00:06 AM PST
by
NonValueAdded
(Saddam is Dead! Bush's Fault. [Pray for our patriot brother, 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub.])
To: achilles2000
But Kennedy is really good at adding fifths...hic Even better at depleting fifths...burp
24
posted on
12/30/2006 10:00:30 AM PST
by
evad
To: achilles2000
Dumbass
25
posted on
12/30/2006 10:01:05 AM PST
by
MarkeyD
(The tree of liberty must from time to time be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.)
To: achilles2000
This isn't "math." It's arithmetic.
(As in "readin', writin' and 'rithmentic.")
ML/NJ
26
posted on
12/30/2006 10:01:59 AM PST
by
ml/nj
To: evad
That would be the Kennedy math. Mr Kennedy, what is 1/5th and 1/5th?
Kennedy: "That would be no fifths, because I would drink them both."
27
posted on
12/30/2006 10:03:04 AM PST
by
Enterprise
(Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
To: Felis_irritable
"First you have to find a dominator." Well, it has to be a "common dominator"
28
posted on
12/30/2006 10:03:19 AM PST
by
evad
To: The Drowning Witch; leda
look for a least common denominator - the prime factorization of 3 is "3", and that of 4 is "2*2", so the LCD is "3*2*2", and thus "12". Mutiplying the numerator by the other primes as appropriate, we get "1*2*2+1*3" = "3+4" = "7". Note then that the prime factorization of the resultant numerator is "7", that of the denominator, "3*2*2", and that they have no factors in common, so the resultant needs no reduction, and the answer is "7/12".
This technique works for any two fractions, not just those that are so simple my dog could do it.
29
posted on
12/30/2006 10:03:32 AM PST
by
patton
(Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
To: achilles2000; King Moonracer
Kennedy is all about weights and measures.
To: nmh
"And teachers report to this MORON?"
No! Public school teachers report to that moron.
31
posted on
12/30/2006 10:04:17 AM PST
by
RavenATB
(Patton was right...)
To: achilles2000
Add the denominators and raise the sum over the product of the denominators, 1/3+1/4: 3+4=7; 3*4=12; move sum to top for 7/12.
1/2+1/3: 2+3=5; 2*3=6; 5/6 is the answer.
32
posted on
12/30/2006 10:04:29 AM PST
by
Old Professer
(The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
To: achilles2000
The teachers union and bloomberg are locked in a weird relationship. Both need the other and can't stand each other.
33
posted on
12/30/2006 10:05:56 AM PST
by
durasell
(!)
To: achilles2000
Just for the helluva it, could someone please post the method of adding 1/3 and 1/4??????
34
posted on
12/30/2006 10:05:58 AM PST
by
The Drowning Witch
(Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:)
To: secretagent
I found a dominator.
35
posted on
12/30/2006 10:07:20 AM PST
by
Enterprise
(Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
To: Old Professer
The only time I've ever used fractions is to divide a candy bar.......One half for you and the big half for me. Fractions are soooooo yesterday.
To: Clara Lou
Well, no, teachers don't "report" to this moron.Nope. They just give him a bunch of their money for him to spend as he sees fit. And he sees fit to spend it destroying our nation. I guess I'd rather have them "reporting" to him instead of letting him have money.
To: achilles2000
"I do it the old-fashioned way," she said. "You take your paper, your pen, you add it up and get the fractional whatever." Ho boy! I wish the host had been ready for this one -- with a piece of paper, a pencil and another problem.
38
posted on
12/30/2006 10:09:27 AM PST
by
okie01
(The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
To: Enterprise
That would be the Kennedy math. Mr Kennedy, what is 1/5th and 1/5th? Kennedy: "That would be no fifths, because I would drink them both."
LOL
OR..
Kennedy: I dunno cuz I'd be so drunk by then ...
39
posted on
12/30/2006 10:09:28 AM PST
by
evad
To: The Drowning Witch
"Just for the helluva it, could someone please post the method of adding 1/3 and 1/4??????"
Figure out what you could use for a "common denominator." In this case, multiplying each until they become 12 works. So, you multiply 1/3 times four to get 3/12. And you multiply 1/4 times three to get 3/12. Your new problem (same as the old one...) is 4/12 plus 3/12= 7/12
40
posted on
12/30/2006 10:09:42 AM PST
by
RavenATB
(Patton was right...)
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