Posted on 08/19/2013 4:45:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
Apparently, under the new Common-Core standards, correct answers don’t really matter. At least that’s according to a “curriculum coordinator” in Chicago named Amanda August. “Even if [a student] said, ’3 x 4 was 11,’ if they were able to explain their reasoning and explain how they came up with their answer really in, umm, words and oral explanation, and they showed it in the picture but they just got the final number wrong, we’re really more focused on the how,” said the common core supporter and typical liberal, Amanda. Off course this reasoning explains quite a bit regarding our nation’s 16 trillion dollar debt, and Nancy Pelosi’s assertion that Obamacare was a “deficit reducer.” When you consider that our finest economic leaders in the Federal Reserve, and the White House, think spending more money will result in fewer deficits, teaching that 3 x 4 = 11 (if you explain it well) isn’t really much of a stretch.
Common Core: Wrong Answer Are fine - Longer
The left has long sought to bolster self-esteem by downplaying wrong answers in education. Everyone gets a ribbon; a truly disastrous lesson to teach when not everyone is capable of getting a job. And while the how is important in any lesson plan, in the end, the answer should still be correct. Amanda’s students are going to be in for a world of surprise when their first employer decides that doing the job correctly is more important than demonstrating “with words” an employee’s fundamental failure to grasp the concept of their task.
To the credit of the presumably leftists audience, someone asked if teachers will still be correcting students on math tests. The simple fact that someone had to ask the question should demonstrate the atrocious nature of American education reform. The question “are we still going to correct wrong answers” would seem incomprehensible in a system of honest instruction. Amanda, however, stumbles through a very entertaining non-answer:
“We want our students to compute correctly but the emphasis is really moving more towards the explanation, and the how, and the why, and ‘can I really talk through the procedures that I went through to get this answer; and not just knowing that it’s 12, but why is it 12? How do I know that?”
Well. . . Amanda, if they answered “11”, my guess is they won’t be able to answer “how do I know that” to a satisfactory degree. Well, 3 + 4 = 7, and both 3 and 7 are prime numbers. This leaves only 4 left, so we add it to our answer of 7 which is, of course, 11. Another prime number. . . How’d I do? Do I pass? What kind of world do we live in when math becomes a philosophical essay, and not a system of numbers, arithmetic, and simple truths? Well, it’s the same type of world that gives ribbons out to “honorary mentions” and lets every child star in the Christmas “winter” musical.
And this is at the center of Common-Core. At its heart is not an intent to better our failing school system (after all, you don’t do that by praising kids who get basic multiplication wrong) but to instil an altruistic sense of self-worth and liberal flexibility. To the American left, school should be an instrument to instruct children that they can be anything they want, and that the most important thing is life is that you get an “A” for effort.
Of course, I wanted to be an astronaut. . . And it doesn’t matter how hard you try, if you can’t answer the multiplication problem “3 x 4”, you’re not very likely to move into the highly competitive world of extraterrestrial exploration (although you could run for congress as a Democrat).
Amanda’s purported concentration on making sure children understand what they are taught certainly has its place in the classroom. . . Right behind getting the right answer. But don’t worry: People like Amanda will soon be writing up your child’s lesson plans.
Great point. As conservatives, we have a well defined view of right and wrong, and recognize absolute truth. Liberals gauge right and wrong according to feelings, not truth.
Sorry for the double post!
I’m reminded of ma and pa kettle’s skit on 5X14=25 and abbot and costello’s 7X13=28. Except those are actually funny and not sad...
I spoke to an ambassador yesterday that told me that he witnessed the President of an African nation telling his administration to purposely give Islamic students higher grades than their Christian counterparts even though the reverse is true. It had to do with assisting Islamic influence in the reason which he felt was due to monetary influence. He indicated he couldn’t say much more than that but that even with influence like that the people of the nation still much preferred Christianity than Islam. He has traveled extensively all over the world and said that the meda is portraying Islam as taking over many nations and spreading when in reality, it is not (as portrayed). He said that Christianity is much more acceptable ue to the fact that it is a religion of love and not hate as Islam is. Made me feel better anyway.
> To liberals feelings and wishes trump fact, accomplishment and results
Man, I wish I’d said that. Much truth in that statement. Utopia vs Reality.
> Liberals gauge right and wrong according to feelings, not truth
Another great zinger in this thread I wish I’d come up with... : )
So it is no surprise that they are trying to extend their divorced-from-reality world view into education. Doesn't matter if you got the wrong answer there little Johnny, as long as you feel good about yourself and how you arrived at it. Wrong, actually doing things right does matter.
The schools today are combining results and effort.Doesn’t matter if you
get the answer right or not, as long as you try hard.
When I was in elementary school during the 1960s we were graded
on the individual subject and separately on effort.
I could get an A for effort, but still get a C in math (which I frequently did)...
They are introducing this to our schools this year.
And all the teachers hate these math fads.
The last one was “whole math”, where the students had to involve all other subjects in math (English, woodworking, science, social studies). Result: without a focus on math itself, the subject became “diluted” and consequently students fell behind and thus scores fell behind. Fotunately, my kids math teachers saw that math was being diluted and encouraged independent study. My kids did the independent study, and the result was that my 5th grader was doing 9th grade math (Intro to Algebra).
Before that it was the Chicago math. In Chicago math, the goal was to teach the student to “understand” how math works. This is fine if all of the student intended to major in mathematics in college. However, most students only need to know how to get the right answer. For example, they were taught several ways to do division. However, most students combined the different methods and got wrong answers. I told my kids to use only long division, and their teachers agreed, exasperated at the school board for forcing this crap on them.
Communism is not a economic theory. It is a long term program designed to smash the individual, the family, and the nation. In their place would be humanoid serfs that love their enslavement to a One World Government ruled by God-King Banksters.
If the teachers hate these math fads then they should ignore the order and teach the correct way
You think they thought long and hard about this? If they did, they would have rejected that ridiculous idea in a minute
Parents need to be really thinking about what they are doing to their kids. Sending your kids to school these days is as serious as a heart attack.
BINGO! I remember that "new math" that was introduced when I was in middle school. Granted I am not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to math, but even I understood that the new math was not right.
Now, fast-forward 25 to 30 years and all these new math disciples are running the country. Thusly, they are creating budgets using new math, so any answer they come up with is the correct answer.
No sarcasm tag used because, unfortunately, I am correct.
What’s the point of a drug addled slave? Can’t get any production out of him.
I’m not saying you’re wrong, though, ‘cause you’re right.
It’s not a strategy for teaching, it’s a political strategy for changing perceptions of tyranny.
That's real retarded.
What a load of crap.
I cannot accept the notion of teachers personally interviewing students about the students’ test answers after a computer automatically graded the students’ multiple-choice answers.
Here is an example of how past educators interfaced with the student regarding his test answers. The teacher had to read the student’s answers in order to grade their performance. We exchanged that personal involvement for expediency
What a load of crap.
I cannot accept the notion of teachers personally interviewing students about the students’ test answers after a computer automatically graded the students’ multiple-choice answers.
Here is an example of how past educators interfaced with the student regarding his test answers. The teacher had to read the student’s answers in order to grade their performance. We exchanged that personal involvement for expediency
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.