One for the Educators in the crowd

[joessportster]

 

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

They don't teach cursive writing anymore, not for at least the last 10 years, at least in most states.

Email, texts, etc. were seen as the replacement for cursive writing and therefor no longer necessary to be taught.

I don't think that was well thought out.

 

Well I dont know about most schools / states. the 2 I do know about Maryland and N. Carolina Both teach cursive, so its perfectly well thought out in MY Situation

 

I will take a look at the link though

[joessportster]

Different Strokes for different folks.  But I think that cat has perhaps has dropped a few tabs and definitely smoked a (199666444-336 (do this in your head)) amount of weed.

If weed helps understand it I may have to start 

[Jim Naseum]

Confucius say:  "Why do you have to learn mathematics' if you have a calculator?"  That does leave more brain storage for trivia nonsense.

JJK

 

That's easy. The winning (prized) ability in the marketplace is creativity. To create, one has to first understand "what is?" Understanding mathematics means to understand how it works. When you know how a thing works, you can apply it the most creative ways. Here's an example. In the late 90s and early 00s, Harvard and MIT physicists and mathematicians (Ph.D. and post doc) created all new methods of manipulating the financial markets, like currency exchange and stocks, to make billions of dollars for the new firms they created. These "quants" revolutionized Wall Street.

 

Creativity is a skill derived from fundamental understanding. Theory is fundamental understanding. Anyone can operate a calculator. The question is, who can design them?

[tigerwoodKhorns]

Different Strokes for different folks.  But I think that cat has perhaps has dropped a few tabs and definitely smoked a (199666444-336 (do this in your head)) amount of weed.

 

That is easy.  100 - 36 = 64.   And 444 is 44 over 400 so we have 44, now add 64 and 44, let's see 60 + 40 = 100 and 4 + 4 = 8, so that is 108, now add it to 199666000 and we have 199666108. 

 

Teach that to your kids. 

[dtel's wife]

 

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

They don't teach cursive writing anymore, not for at least the last 10 years, at least in most states.

Email, texts, etc. were seen as the replacement for cursive writing and therefor no longer necessary to be taught.

I don't think that was well thought out.

 

I could not agree more.  The thought processes developed when learning to write in cursive are so much more than the writing itself.  Most cursive letters require the ability to follow several steps in order to get the proper formation of the letter. It is actually an art form, and one that is rapidly disappearing.  

 

I am and always will be an advocate for instruction in cursive writing, beginning at a young age.

[jacksonbart]

Yeah and where is the massive Chalk board and ruler across the knuckles.

[twistedcrankcammer]

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

 

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

The Constitution and most Historical Records are in Cursive...... Pretty important to be able to READ that stuff lest you be another Liberal Sheeple drinking the Cool-aid and blindly believing in your leaders rhetoric don't you think??

Roger

[Jeff Matthews]

an example 3rd grade now 2nd week of school and barely into multiple digit subtraction

 

IMHO a SHINING EXAMPLE of the problem with Public School

 

 

 

math bullshit.PNG

 

I was always a math whiz back in school (now, age 47).  I recall seeing this 10-based explanation given to me back in elementary school.  I had totally forgotten we were taught that.  It brings back old memories. TYFT!

 

I think this is a brilliant way to teach math.  When it is taught that way, you begin to learn so much more than subtracting 111 from 356.  This kind of understanding is very basic, and it needs to be very clear.  When you know why problems can be solved in a given way, you develop a wider arsenal of tools to help recognize and solve problems.

 

I'll recite an example which I will never forget because I like to pat myself on the back for weaseling my way to an A in a difficult course.

 

It was college Statistics II at the University of Houston Business School.  It was a hard class, but I was an A student, so, "Myeh.  Just learn the stuff and give it back and get your 'A.'"

 

It was the third test for the semester.  This was the last test before the final, so there weren't too many tests to absorb a low score on any single test.  The questions were in groups. A word problem was set up, and then there would be about 6 - 8 questions asked about it... things like standard deviations, and betas and stuff I don't remember anymore.  The whole test consisted of about 4 of these word problems, so if you blow one, it could make you miss a fourth of the correct answers.  That's a "C," amigo!

 

The way you solve many problems in statistics is to be able to derive the value for a certain symbol - like a standard deviation.  Then, other symbols relate to it in some given mathematical way that will allow you to calculate them as well.  There are a pretty good handful of these symbols, but they are limited since, after all, statistics concerns itself with a somewhat limited amount of inquiry into data points and dispersion.

 

The first question after the word problem scenario asked what is the value of some symbol, "a."  I was dead in the water.  I couldn't get it.  My heart raced.  There were 6 more questions right below this that depended on me knowing the answer to this first one.

 

Trying to avoid senseless panic, I thought to myself:

 

What else do I know?  Can I get to it any other way?

 

I looked down at the questions that followed.  About 4 more questions into it, the value of another symbol, "b," was asked.  By the way, these were multiple choice answers, with possibilities like 3, 4, 6 and 8.  I knew the relationship between symbol "a" and symbol "b."  From there, I began testing each possible answer for symbol "b."  For example, if a = 2 x b, and b equals 4, then, a must be 8.  

 

I checked it:

 

Is 8 one of the multiple choice answers in the first question on "a?"  No.  Okay, let's try the next answer for "b," which is 6.  If b is 6, then 12 should be among the answers in the first question on "a."  Is it there?  Yes!!!!  It's there!!!!!!  Now, test the next answer for "b."  If it is 3, "a" will be 6.  Is 6 among the answers for "a?"  No!  Cool!  Then, the next answer for "b," 8.  Is 16 a possible answer given for "a?"  No!  Woohoo!  

 

This strategy worked, and as a result, it led me to all the correct answers.  I aced the test, thank you very much.     That was one of those memorable times when victory tasted so sweet!

[juniper]

 

Different Strokes for different folks.  But I think that cat has perhaps has dropped a few tabs and definitely smoked a (199666444-336 (do this in your head)) amount of weed.

 

That is easy.  100 - 36 = 64.   And 444 is 44 over 400 so we have 44, now add 64 and 44, let's see 60 + 40 = 100 and 4 + 4 = 8, so that is 108, now add it to 199666000 and we have 199666108. 

 

Teach that to your kids. 

 

Why would you teach that to your kids? wouldn't make more sense to subtract 36 from 44 and add a 1 to the hundredth's place?

[joessportster]

 

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

 

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

The Constitution and most Historical Records are in Cursive...... Pretty important to be able to READ that stuff lest you be another Liberal Sheeple drinking the Cool-aid and blindly believing in your leaders rhetoric don't you think??

Roger

 

reading cursive is 1 thing being graded for writing it is another, I would also submit that you could pull up an Important Historical document in print  pretty easily 

 

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

 

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

 

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

 

Now would I want my boys to be able to read the original YES

[oldtimer]

 

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

 

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

The Constitution and most Historical Records are in Cursive...... Pretty important to be able to READ that stuff lest you be another Liberal Sheeple drinking the Cool-aid and blindly believing in your leaders rhetoric don't you think??

Roger

 

It is important to be able to read these things but what one's political viewpoint is seems completely irrelevant.   Unless of course if one is a sheeple who believes their own viewpoint is the only legitimate one.

Edited September 15, 2015 by oldtimer

[juniper]

Common Core is absurd, many of the most expensive and exclusive private schools don't even use it....... I wonder why?.... let's see, teachers and students signing confidentiality agreements, interesting?  STATES ALLOWING KIDS AND PARENTS TO OPT OUT for the time being... It's just a money grab, corporations making huge profits on testing and learning materials and the privatization of another part of our systems... Lets not talk about straight A students who are now failing, anxiety ridden and in need of medication? The next phase will cost tax payers billions for the COMMON CORE but it won't work... except for some....... I asked a fairly smart relative, to do a very simple equation adding 4 or five 6 and 7 place numbers, I added it quickly and she said "oh, that's old math" that's scary language "old math" wow, old as been around for thousands of years? I asked how do you do it? I use a calculator.... then I asked what's 10% of a small number and she looked at me like I was insane. Have you received change lately at a store, some types are very confused.... It's a shame that children using what their parents taught them a classic way, of handling simple math isn't good enough? Maybe the reason behind CC is so nobody can figure out square footages, and those really "tiny houses" might seem  big........

[oldtimer]

We have a guy here whose listening room is 3500 sq ft.  He told us so.

[BigStewMan]

Algebra class happened to be held the same hour as one of the lunch periods -- I had two lunches and failed the class with 54 absences.  Report card day my sister is getting chewed out for getting a C on her report card.  I’m up next. Algebra F.  Mom say, “oh son, i know math isn’t your favorite subject. Try harder next time.”  My sister was so upset that i didn’t get hollered at.  I just smiled and said, “they haven’t given up on you yet."

Edited September 15, 2015 by BigStewMan

[Jim Naseum]

From Common Core:

http://www.corestandards.org/other-resources/key-shifts-in-mathematics/

I think it sounds excellent. It focuses on kids learning the concepts, not just rote manipulation.

There seems to be more of a political objection than any rational objection to the ACTUAL curricula in the subject. Why on earth would we not want to learn math concepts, like base number understanding?

This new math looks vastly improved over my 1955 lessons!

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

[juniper]

From Common Core:

http://www.corestandards.org/other-resources/key-shifts-in-mathematics/

I think it sounds excellent. It focuses on kids learning the concepts, not just rote manipulation.

There seems to be more of a political objection than any rational objection to the ACTUAL curricula in the subject. Why on earth would we not want to learn math concepts, like base number understanding?

This new math looks vastly improved over my 1955 lessons!

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

I hardly believe this is about politics, maybe if you are simple perhaps... Let me guess someone has an agenda.... China does math very well and they can use abacuses, this is old math, odds, evens, ones and tens..... simple things, abstract concepts are learned after a base understanding, teaching abstract concepts to some children at some ages is not a good thing... England sent some people to China, to figure out why they are so good at math, the consensus was, that they did math like "we did" in the past....... and then found the best......

[Jim Naseum]

What's abstract about the base 10 system of counting?

I never imagined that could be called abstract.

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

[Travis In Austin]

I am wondering why they still teach cursive writing ?? as you progress in school they want everything typed.........................who the heck still writes letters, I have not seen a hand written letter in over 14 years

Other than a signature it is pretty much extinct in my daily Life

The Constitution and most Historical Records are in Cursive...... Pretty important to be able to READ that stuff lest you be another Liberal Sheeple drinking the Cool-aid and blindly believing in your leaders rhetoric don't you think??

Roger

I have seen the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution several times, easily at least 10 as I make it a point to always swing by when I am there, and the style was do different, almost impossible to make out in some cases. On top of that they are both badly faded.

An early copy if the Magna Carta is there as well, Old English is impossible to read.

[juniper]

What's abstract about the base 10 system of counting?

I never imagined that could be called abstract.

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

Nothing is abstract about a base 10 system, but a child needs to learn it to advance to more complicated calculations, it needs to be mastered.... Funny story, I have a golf friend who is a machinist, he started making heart valves when he was 18, recent projects include deep sea valves for oil rigs after the bp spill, never graduated from high school but uses the "base ten" system with a pencil and a small book,  some calcs have twenty or more numbers with a point in front, with many zeros right after.....I am familiar with the periodic table, but the metals he uses are foreign to me.... He gets a job whenever he wants.....

[Travis In Austin]

I agree that might be true as to the average, but you're talking about an education system that cuts out the arts, history, language, and general problem solving skills in favor of over elaborate, short form math and other non essentials. Degree programs are watered down substantially too.

I have known several people who graduated high in their classes at some of the best U.S. universities be turned down for jobs overseas due to the fact the education standards are higher.

Attending Oxford for a few months was even invariably different. There is absolutely no comparison between education in other westernized countries and the U.S. It's a real problem that few seem to be interested in. I've heard just about every side of the issue too with both of my parents being educators.

How is education funded in other westernized countries? How much donthey spend in GDP on education, and the amount per student? Don't westernized countries, especially England and the Commonwealth require rigorous exams in order to graduate and go on to college?