[a fool in paradise]

Socialists like Roger Waters HATED rote memorization of math tables. BUT math outcomes are a constant. They NEVER CHANGE.

The sooner you accept that 1+1=2 and 2*2=4, the sooner you can put that knowledge to use.

If you keep having to “work out what the outcome will be”, you will fall far behind.

[grania]

I agree with you totally about the rote process. Clearly enumerated steps followed precisely, is by far the best way to teach a math procedure. All of that touchy-feely (manipulative stuff), all of those gimmicks for certain subcategories, should not be taught at all. They should be discovered, after the rote process is mastered. That's when group work and problem solving technique has a place.

These new techniques have it *ss backwards. They start with the touchy-feely and the shortcuts and the individual discovery (mostly discovered wrong) and nobody can really tell what's correct anymore.

I lost it in a class one day when they were factoring quadratic equations as a group exercise where everybody was expressing an opinion.