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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)
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To: secretagent

"First you have to find a dominator."

Been looking all my life & Mrs Felis is as close as I've gotten...


22 posted on 12/30/2006 9:59:08 AM PST by Felis_irritable (Dirty_Felis_Irritable...)
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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.])
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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
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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.)
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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
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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.)
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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
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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.)
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To: achilles2000; King Moonracer

Kennedy is all about weights and measures.


30 posted on 12/30/2006 10:03:52 AM PST by battlegearboat
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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...)
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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.)
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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 (!)
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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:)
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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.)
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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.


36 posted on 12/30/2006 10:07:57 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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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.

37 posted on 12/30/2006 10:09:18 AM PST by ModelBreaker
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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)
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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
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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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