How about Mississippi!
- Thread starter paindonthurt
- Start date
Teachers have to teach to the test because that’s how administrators measure success. The testing industry itself is a big dollar business.
In our school system, choosing your preferred method isn’t optional. Students have to do it the complex way(s) instead of whatever way the student finds most helpful. Not every student is going to love, enjoy, or understand math. Just like every kid isn‘t going to be Michael Jordan or Picasso.
LOL. OK. Let's bet.
I'm sure in "Advanced math" that addition is spelled out.
All the people I know do the simple math in their head. I'll bet at majority , in their head, do 10+10+8+2 for 18+12....
All my Calc and DiffEq professors didn't count off for addition of real number errors.
This.
This is what helps math scores. Teaching the kids a bunch of ways are the "right" way and letting them figure out what works best for them.
Or Teaching kids "how to think".
When learning, everyone has to learn all the ways.
Because, how else would you know what works for each kid to do math better in each kids head?
After they learn all the ways, they get to use whatever way works for them in life. (and in higher math courses)
Not every kid will "love, enjoy" math. but every kid can understand it.
Not every kid can be Jordan, but they can know how to dibble and shoot.
Not every kid can be picasso, but they can know how to paint.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why you even needed to include the phrase "As a conservative" to this statement. It was fine statement on its own.
So true. But teach them the basics before judging them on how well they paint or slam dunk. Let THEM decide what works best instead of grading them on how they do on all of the options. This is my point and is exactly what our schools here aren’t doing. It’s ”do it this way or you’re not doing it at all” and that isn’t catering to their individual learning.
I feel as if you’re completely missing the point.
Yeah, my half-assed understanding is funding is tied to test scores. Not sure if that’s true though.
Not every kid can understand math.
and not every kid is learning all the ways. I’d say most kids aren’t learning the “old” way.
I feel like you are missing the point. of you have a very poor view of humanity
They ARE "teaching the basics" . What we (or at least I ) was taught in the 80's was not "the basics" it was A way to do it, taught as THE way to do it.
And that's not the case. There are many ways to "do math". And with all of them get you to the correct answer. What they do now is teach the kids a bunch of ways, until, as the other poster said they learn to do it in their head.
The benefit is now everyone is taught that "the way they do it in their head is the right way". and you get EVERYONE that has confidence in math, understands math, and can do math.
I'm not saying everyone can do multivarible Differnetial equations. But they can do the math, and UNDERSTAND the math that 99.9% of people use in day to day life.
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I fundamentally disagree with your first statement. It's a ****** way to see the world.
they are not learning the "old way" because the "old way" sucked for most kids....
We don't "teach" lots of things that don't make sense in the modern world anymore.
I have no idea how to use a slide rule. My dad used his every day, until they got calculators and computers... Same with this... Equip kids for today's world with the knowledge of how to do it better.
I'm sorry the school system hurt your feelings and made you look bad to your kids.
I think I’ve seen pain say before he does not have kids. Maybe he has niece or nephew in elementary. But my guess is, he has not seen firsthand the teaching methods now. Rather he has read Facebook post or Twitter and has formed an opinion that way.
I guess I just don’t agree there is a “right way” to do math. As long as you know how to follow proper formula to get the right answer, I don’t think it matters the method of addition or subtraction you take to get there.
Parenting is probably 95% of it. Kids come to school and parents believe their responsibility is over.... Nope. I doesn't matter how much money you spend on education, if the parents at home are not making sure they are prepared every single day and cracking skulls on these little dipshits when they cannot sit still and behave for 30 minutes at a time..... teachers can't teach.
Teachers are not parents people.
So. That doesn't mean every kid will get it no matter how you show them. Thats a harsh reality of humanity. We all aren't exactly alike.
The old way worked for some, but you said LEARN ALL WAYS. They aren't learning all ways.
We don't teach things that DO make sense in the modern world anymore. How to create a budget. How to live with minimal or no debt. etc. etc.
A calculator is a more advanced slide rule. Or a slide rule is a less advanced calculator. Math hasn't changed. The way you learn it may have changed but math is still the exact same today as it was 2000 years ago.
Ha i don't have kids, but i've taught/tutored newton's laws, algebra and business calculus to some people. They all made As or Bs.
Not sure why you are so butt hurt b/c i disagree with your very definitive stances.
Again, and please re-read this 5x before responding, it’s fine teaching kids multiple methods to get from A to Z. My problem is forcing them to use a method other than what they’re comfortable with. Our schools here in the Nashville area force the kids to test on all of the methods. That. Is. Not. Working. For. All. Kids. Especially the ones already struggling in math. Let the kids choose they’re preferred method.
t’s no different than forcing a left-handed kid to write right-handed. Could a kid do it? Some could. Some couldn’t. And what’s the point as long as they can write?
We just fundamentally disagree. I'm sure not ALL kids will get it I concede that. But, as the data from mississippi shows, many many more "get it" now than did. That was your original celebration post. I don't understand why you want to celebrate how awesome the change is then say the means to the change suck and are worse than the old way. .
If you don't have a kid, I don't think you know what they teach and what they don't.
I'm fairly certain math has changed a great deal in the last 2000 years....
I think calculus, newton's laws, Hell the number 0 wasn't a thing 2000 years ago, neither was base 10,
Also Algebra created in 820 AD
It seems you tutored kids that were already smart.
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I agree with this mostly, but don’t fault kids who can’t sit still. It’s not their fault that they aren’t given outlets for their young energy (especially boys). But this is yet another problem with the traditional education system.
I get it. and I see you are in the middle of it. But i have come out the other end.
They do that in Texas too. In early elementary, my kids had to do each math problem the 4-6 ways every time. and it sucked. and the kids hated doing it "the other stupid ways".
But they discovered the way that made sense to them. And the way it made sense to one, was different than the other one.
Now, they don't have to do it any particular way. They do it the way that works for them
To use your analogy, it's teaching kids to write with both hands, then let them chose which one is best. (Which is how your kids learned which way to write BTW)
One of the major reasons for the rise in literacy is the fact that they're teaching phonics again. I learned to read using phonics in the 70's and then at some point, they stopped, it was seen as an "old" technique. But Mississippi reinstated it and we all see the results.
It's gonna take a while for millions of kids to catch up that were subjected to The Teacher's Union Wrath during Covid that was based on junk science, deception, greed and laziness.