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 ...
in general,
1/N + 1/M = (N+M)/(NxM),
so this doesn't take much effort - - even a mental midget could do it without paper when the denominators are as small as 3 and 4!
2) convert each fraction to 12ths. here, 1/3 is converted by dividing its denominator into 12 (quotient=4), then multiplying both the numerator and denominator by 4, thus 4/12ths. for 1/4, divide 4 into 12 (quotient=3), then multiply top and bottom by 3, thus 3/12ths.
3) 4/12 + 3/12 = ???
That's the whole ball game.
X/N + Y/M = ((X*M)+(Y*N))/(N*M)
It's will be the correct answer but not necessarily the least common denominator.
Looks good, for reciprocals of whole numbers: 1/3 the recip of 3, 1/5 of 5, etc.
"No, public school teachers don't "report" to that moron."
For all matters under union control, they actually do.
His leg is broke! ;^)
"No, public school teachers don't "report" to that moron. Yes, I suppose he does lead the charge for those who choose to join his merry band.
"
I note some defensiveness ... are you, Clara Lou, a public school teacher?
"I would need a pencil and paper..."
Yeah right. She would need a calculator. Typical liberal leftist drivel. She's too stupid to lead.
You have to feel your way along. If the division feels good, do it.
NYC education is pretty much an all or nothing game for kids. If you can afford the $20,000 to $30,000 a year then you can get a good education. Ditto for bright kids who go to the specialized schools -- the ones you mentioned, as well as schools like Performing Arts, Art and Design, Fashion, etc.
However, if the you're an ordinary kid with average grades, etc. then you're pretty much kicked to the curb.
Oddly, the same model holds true for employment.
Yeah, that was pretty pitiful. Finding the answer took me about 10 seconds and I consider myself pretty math dumb.
If what I've heard is true, she is in good company. A usually reliable source told me the math on the teacher licensure exam is at no more than the fifth grade level. The reason is that too many ed school grads will fail if asked to perform beyond that.
I didn't say it worked in all cases; only when the numerator is 1 and there are only two fractions.
The invert rule? 2/3 becomes 3/2 or 1/7 becomes 7/1; 3x7=21; 2x7=14; 7x3=21; 7x2=14 or the answer is 14/21?
It's expensive to live in NYC--I assume the salaries are high also so one can afford to live in NYC? or am I just uninformed?
Thank God I got it right! lol.
This thread convinces me that FReepers will argue about anything . . .
Fraction factions?
NYC does this thing where they either get teachers from locals or they import. The import thing is interesting. They basically steal young teachers with advanced degrees from Texas, California, etc. set them up with an apartment to get them started out, and put them into low performing schools. So, the teachers go from earning $25,000 to about $50,000. After about five or ten years, those teachers leave to work in the suburbs, where their salary jumps from $50,000 or $60,000 to $80,000 or $90,000.
The same thing happens with cops, as well. They put in a couple years and leave for the burbs fully trained.
On the other hand, there are NYC teachers who become "addicted" to the action. I know a few.
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