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ASPB
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 1680
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 Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:42 pm Post subject: Education by the Left in America |
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Math teaching then and now. This one has been going round the Internet for a while, but non-mathematical readers might have missed it. It demonstrates the changes in math teaching techniques across the years. This is clearly the result of our educational system being entrusted our political left.
Teaching math to American kids 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?
— 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?
— 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?
— 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.
— 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20 profit. 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.
— 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?
— 2010: El hachero vende un camion carga por $100 La cuesta de produccion es.....
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 On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB |
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fortdixlover
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 1476
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| Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 12:54 am Post subject: Re: Education by the Left in America |
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| ASPB wrote: | Math teaching then and now. This one has been going round the Internet for a while, but non-mathematical readers might have missed it. It demonstrates the changes in math teaching techniques across the years. This is clearly the result of our educational system being entrusted our political left.
Teaching math to American kids 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?
— 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?
— 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?
— 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.
— 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20 profit. 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.
— 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?
— 2010: El hachero vende un camion carga por $100 La cuesta de produccion es..... |
ASPB,
This is no joke.
The following is in an instructional sidebar in the 6th grade book Math: Addison Wesley Longman, 1999. I saw this on a website a few years ago and confirmed it was true:
Problem solving: Solve each problem. Choose any strategy:
- use objects
- act it out
- look for a pattern
- guess and check
- use logical reasoning (emphasis is mine)
- make an organized list
- make a table
- solve a simpler problem
- work backward
This is followed by a series of poorly-worded, algebraic-like problems on proportions and ratios.
It appears students are being taught that rational, expert knowledge is irrelevant and any opinion is as good as any other, and in math that logical reasoning is just one rather undistinguished method to solve problems and actually ranks lower than "guessing" or "acting"!
This is frightening. Is it no wonder young people can't think clearly.
FDL |
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ASPB
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 1680
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| Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 1:10 am Post subject: |
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FortDixlover,
I know it's no joke, other than "possibly" the last line.
 That 's why I posted it.
We all know the educational system in this country is controlled by the left. All we have to do is correspond with the under-40 trolls on this site to understand what they've done to our education system.
_________________
On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB |
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Scott
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1603
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 1:17 am Post subject: |
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ASPB;
I particularly liked the 1970 "new math" problem. I barely managed to survive that period of "progressive" education.
Speaking of which, "progressive" education seems to be the force behind the success of the "Hooked on Phonics" product, which teaches reading skills to the (educated) functional illiterates.
Has JFK had anything (useful) to say about this?
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Bye bye, Boston Straggler! |
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nakona
Lieutenant
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
Posts: 242
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 3:44 am Post subject: Re: Education by the Left in America |
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| fortdixlover wrote: | The following is in an instructional sidebar in the 6th grade book Math: Addison Wesley Longman, 1999. I saw this on a website a few years ago and confirmed it was true:
Problem solving: Solve each problem. Choose any strategy:
- use objects
- act it out
- look for a pattern
- guess and check
- use logical reasoning
- make an organized list
- make a table
- solve a simpler problem
- work backward
This is followed by a series of poorly-worded, algebraic-like problems on proportions and ratios.
It appears students are being taught that rational, expert knowledge is irrelevant and any opinion is as good as any other, and in math that logical reasoning is just one rather undistinguished method to solve problems and actually ranks lower than "guessing" or "acting"!
This is frightening. Is it no wonder young people can't think clearly.
FDL |
Actually, all the items on that list are legitimate methods of working through a problem. When you have a mental block going down one path, then take another. By teaching the kids that there is more than one way to skin a cat, they are doing them a favor.
I can't address the craftsmanship of the book, because I haven't seen it. But that particular blurb... there's nothing wrong with it.
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ASPB
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 1680
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:17 am Post subject: |
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It's not the list that is questionable. IMHO it's the implementation. Go back and look at the example that started the thread. I'd like to have your opinion.
_________________
On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB |
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nakona
Lieutenant
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
Posts: 242
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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The example is a joke though. You can't use humor as an example of something.
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fortdixlover
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 1476
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| nakona wrote: | | The example is a joke though. You can't use humor as an example of something. |
I *know* it was a joke. I was pointing out that it reflected reality more than the author perhaps realized!
The problem with that list of "methods" for solving math problems is that it relegates logical thinking to an undistinguished position in the strategy list. "Logical thinking" needs to come first and is not just another undistinguished method for problem-solving.
FDL |
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