Here's Why Math is Taught Differently Now

9 years ago

I'm all for understanding, but at the end of the day, there's still something fundamentally wrong with the current education process.

I wish this was fiction, but: When I still had my day job, there were a dozen or so of us in a small training class, and the instructor made brief mention of a 10% factor. I didn't think twice about it, simply doing the "math" in my head, and didn't bother writing any notes. Meanwhile, my neighbor had pulled out a calculator, and was asking me for help, as she wasn't even sure which buttons to push. It was all I could muster to maintain a poker face; I didn't see the point in embarrassing her.

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sbucciarel

Banned 9 years ago

I despised math when going to school. My father always had to help with my math homework and he taught me a completely different way of getting the answers than the school did and I understood it. The teacher didn't quite know how to handle the fact that I could now get the right answers by not doing it the way she taught it. I'm just glad I no longer have to help children with homework.

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yukon

Banned 9 years ago

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seasoned

9 years ago

Yeah, if ONLY that were the type of difference people are screaming about. As for the ^10 difficulty? It was a LONG time before I saw people that mentioned a problem with that. And for the bit about the 2, it was mentioned on BOTH methods! The supposed newer one was just longer. *****ALSO***** they do NOT grade or care about the answer! You can FLUNK while getting it right, and PASS while getting it wrong. They consider the METHOD paramount. So if they used the method only to improve understanding, why do they mark it wrong when you clearly understand?

Steve

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Claude Whitacre

9 years ago

I get it. The new methods helps the brain understand how it got to the answer, without just memorizing multiplication tables.

When I was in school, I did all my math in my head, and just wrote down the answer.

I don't remember if it was faster than writing everything down, but it was more fun. Once I got to Algebra, I couldn't do it anymore. Too much to hold visually.

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seasoned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

I get it. The new methods helps the brain understand how it got to the answer, without just memorizing multiplication tables.

WOW! YOU had to do the 41, 42, 43, etc..... tables? I believe I was only required to go up to 12.

And I guess this means that the "teacher" in the OP was leaving out steps!

45*24 is NOT the easy 900+180=1080
45*24 is NOT the, I THINK, harder 20+160+100+800=1080

NOPE! It is 5+5+5+5+40+40+40+40+50+50+400+400=1080

OOOPS, SORRY! I CHEATED! REMEMBER, the 400 is NOT 400 but 40+40+40+40+40+40+40+40+40+40...! But you get the point!

When I was in school, I did all my math in my head, and just wrote down the answer.

When I started school, I didn't even SEE a calculator. When I finally got a calculator, it was a JOKE by today's standards, but kids still got a kick out of it. When I LEFT school SOME classes allowed you to have a calculator like that first one I got a decade earlier! ***NOW***, last I heard, you can often use a calculator that is *******SO******* complicated that they have a similar one that is every bit a computer. It has more features, storage, and programmable functions, etc... Of course, it can graph as well. You were NOT allowed to use the one that was basically a computer, but some make kits to make the big one look like the little brother. Have to graph out an equation on three planes? NO PROBLEM!

I don't remember if it was faster than writing everything down, but it was more fun. Once I got to Algebra, I couldn't do it anymore. Too much to hold visually.

Well, even if I write things down, I do a lot before doing so.

Steve
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- AprilCT 9 years ago
  
  High school math was easy for me, but then that was taught before the "funny math" methods had started to creep into the classroom.
  
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  seasoned 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by AprilCT
  
  High school math was easy for me, but then that was taught before the "funny math" methods had started to creep into the classroom.
  
  I think I started RIGHT AFTER they got rid of the "NEW MATH". I actually learned the word outmoded because it was written on a book I once got that I later found was new math! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Math
  
  But THIS is the NEW new math, and covers just about EVERYTHING! They even have classes on programming that, if you are lucky, may teach you how to turn a computer on! It is LITERALLY the new HAND TURKEY! Make a Hand Turkey
  
  The hand turkey was a senseless thing to show your parents, just like that "game design" computer class they want to put in to "teach programming".
  
  Steve
  
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  socialentry 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by seasoned
  
  The hand turkey was a senseless thing to show your parents, just like that "game design" computer class they want to put in to "teach programming".
  
  Steve
  
  They should have a class about duke nukem.
  
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lanfear63

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

I get it. The new methods helps the brain understand how it got to the answer, without just memorizing multiplication tables.

When I was in school, I did all my math in my head, and just wrote down the answer.

I don't remember if it was faster than writing everything down, but it was more fun. Once I got to Algebra, I couldn't do it anymore. Too much to hold visually.

I know your methodology

Q: 10 * 4 = ?

Claude: 10 Kfc Wings * 4 Kfc Wings = Snack

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vour1995

9 years ago

It baffles me how some people find mathematics so complicated. In my opinion, it is the most straightforward of subjects

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seasoned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by vour1995

It baffles me how some people find mathematics so complicated. In my opinion, it is the most straightforward of subjects

Yeah, it IS odd but, if math were as easy to all as it is to some, we would be saying WHAT'S MATH!?!?!?!? SERIOUSLY! and as simple as YOU may think it is, I bet some people would ASTONISH you at finding it so much simpler.

I HAVE seen simpler ways to do math that they seem to RARELY teach in the US, and I earlier NEVER saw them taught. I came in just after "new math" was supposed to revolutionize things, and NOW, it is "common core math"!

Steve
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Here's Why Math is Taught Differently Now

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