Math education in the US

[Stefan Antwarg]

I couldn't resist posting this after the education debate we recently had.

Stefan


Politically Appropriate Evolution of Math Education
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Last week I got a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and was digging for my change when I pulled

8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register.

I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me back two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help and while he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.

Why do I tell you this? Read on...

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Teaching Math in 1950:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.

What is his profit?

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Teaching Math in 1960:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80.

What is his profit?

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Teaching Math in 1970:

A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money.

The cardinality of set "M" is 100.

Each element is worth one dollar.

Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M."

The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M."

Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M".

Answer this question:

What is the cardinality of the set "P" of profits?

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Teaching Math in 1980:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.

Your assignment:

Underline the number 20.

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Teaching Math in 1990:

By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20.

What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question:

How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees?

There are no wrong answers.

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Teaching Math in 2000:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is $120.

How does Arthur Andersen determine that his profit margin is $60?

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Teaching Math in 2005:

El hachero vende un camion carga por $100 La cuesta de produccion es.....

Buenos Dias.....

[Tom Sweeney]

How can something be so sad & so hilariously funny at the same time?

Best (or worse) part is it's true.

Yesterday I asked my daughter how many movies she's watched in school. Last year they seemed to spend more time watching movies (commercial mostly non-educational movies) than they did being taught.

She said "I think 4" - Today we watched a Seuss movie about a (I forget the seuss names) faceless something that starts a factory, cuts down all the trees, makes huge profits but ruins the ecosystem & soon runs out of trees so his factory shuts down. Apparently the moral is how faceless corporations are destroying the environment by cutting down all the trees. I asked if the teacher happened to mention that there are a lot more trees in the US today than there were at the turn of the last century. To the teachers credit he did, however he could have used the Amazon rain forest as an example, IMO, but didn't.
Anyway after all that & after my post on the education thread - we went to outback last night & my 11th grade honor role daughter couldn't figure out the tip The waiter wasn't very helpful either when I called him over and asked him if knowing math was important to his job

Still your post was funny!

[Chuck Wintle]

its sad when kids today can use computers but cannot count and read. I think its a generational thing because some skills are lost and other gained. Does it even out in the end? I hope the United States will continue to value English as the common language of use and encourage it to remain so. Hope that statementis not too political.

[Carl Eyman]

I played golf today with the chairman of the math departmernt at the local university. At lunch afterward I related Bill G's story about the architectual students. I suggested to him that part of the problem was the fact that the use of calculators avoids the need for the user to make a guesstimate of the answer. That used to be necessary for those of us that grew up using a slide rule. Since the slide rule would not place the decimal point for you, one had to estimate the order of magnitude of the answer. One engineering prof of mine would flunk you in an eyelash if your order of magnitude were off. He'd say that the margin of safety wouldn't cover such a gross error. Anyway, my math prof friend said there is movement afoot to conciously make students judge the answers to their problems for reasonableness. To Which I say Bravo.

[Mark Singer]

Carl,
I learned on a slide rule and that estimating ability has and continues to save me constantly....my younger associates don't have the ability at all! A bit sad

[Joe Mioux]

Here is one that will make your head spin even though it is a bit off this subject.

A good family friend's son enrolled at their local high school as a freshman. She paid $151 for the book fee. Her son comes home the first day has homework but no book, The mother asks where is his book, he said the school doesn't have enough books for the entire class. The mother asks her son about his other subjects, no books for any of his other classes either. The mother calls around to other parents and gets the same answer. The mother buys ALL his books on ebay for $89.00... While the mother is waiting for the books to arrive she goes back to his 8th grade parochial school teacher and borrows the SAME text book that he needs for his freshman class. The parochial school teacher offered additional text books to other Freshman students as well.

My wife, Anna, asked the mother whether or not she go her $151.00 book returned which she did not!

What is wrong here!!!!!!
Joe

[Ed Falis]

What is wrong here!!!!!!
Joe

Maybe something to do with changes in the funding of education at the federal, state and local levels over the last 20 years?

Good thing this is the off-topic forum.

- Ed

[James Giordano]

Sounds like somebody is getting ripped off...in more ways than one

[Dennis Peacock]

Let's just be careful what we say here and it's attitude. So far, things are going very well and I'm learning as I read your posts.

Where I come from....If you can drive a tractor, do all your basic math in your head...to help you at the mill or crusher....you're all set.!!

[Dan Mages]

Please remember. There are three types of people in this world. Those who can count, and those who can't.

Dan

[Joe Tonich]

So far my sons (10 & 11) are very good in math. I refuse to let them use a calculator to do their homework, everything is figured out on paper. Can't believe they are already learning the basics of Algebra, but they're not in a public school either. (Rant : ON) The public school system around here sucks. They keep trying all the "New and Improved" methods. Try to read something the ones that GRADUATE write. I could spell better in the 4th grade! Now, teachers cannot use RED to grade papers cause it hurts the kids little feelings. Give me a BREAK!! They better learn to deal with it while they're young cause it will be harder later on. (Rant : OFF) Every once in a while we play "Stump the boys" where I'll toss out a problem and they have to figure it out in their head. Keeps them on their toes.


Joe