Today's high school seniors.....ouch.
- Thread starter Richard
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Silvic
Gold Member
My wife is helping her niece, transcontinental, with her algebra. It has been a real eye opener. The girl is not stupid but she sure comes across as a bit dim despite having made straight "A's" prior to this year. The term common core math has come up and we are trying to figure what the heck that really means. They have no text books anymore so they can't read about how to problem solve the way they used to. Yes there used to be good text books and bad ones; but no textbooks, really?:confused2:
Maybe they did away with textbooks because kids graduate now with a 4th grade reading capability and can't read anyway to comprehend.
They teach math differently now and my wife is trying to understand the new method to be able to build with this girl on what she is being taught rather than starting over. I did find a reference (on-line so who knows if it is true) that stated that the way they teach algebra now has one big failing. That being that while it allows everyone to grasp the basics it screws up the kids that go on to further math as it is not correct and actually prevents building upon it for real advanced math.
Those that go on have to go back and relearn the basics the correct way. It was stated that the tradeoff was worth it since it would only cause a small percentage of kids to have to go back and relearn as the others would never use it again.
Yes there are examples of kids that do well, but as has been stated the school system is failing the children of today, the adults of tomorrow, at an incredible pace. The OP stated issue with the inability to grasp 10% calculations is merely another example of the simple things that are being lost.
Also just the way they think has been degraded. Here is an example of a recent problem issue.
Solve for X
X[SUP]2[/SUP] = 25
no problem X = 5 and X = -5
Same problem
Solve for X
X[SUP]2[/SUP] - 25 = 0
Can't do it.
Same problem
Solve for X
(X-5) (X+5) = 0
Can't do it.
There is a problem with the way things are being taught or not taught as the case may be.
A common statement that is heard.
Why do I need to learn this. I will just learn it in college.
If you don't know how to do it by college then the college math will leave them in the dust and they will spend their tuition money in remedial math classes before they even start their real 4 year degree classes.
Maybe they did away with textbooks because kids graduate now with a 4th grade reading capability and can't read anyway to comprehend.
They teach math differently now and my wife is trying to understand the new method to be able to build with this girl on what she is being taught rather than starting over. I did find a reference (on-line so who knows if it is true) that stated that the way they teach algebra now has one big failing. That being that while it allows everyone to grasp the basics it screws up the kids that go on to further math as it is not correct and actually prevents building upon it for real advanced math.
Those that go on have to go back and relearn the basics the correct way. It was stated that the tradeoff was worth it since it would only cause a small percentage of kids to have to go back and relearn as the others would never use it again.
Yes there are examples of kids that do well, but as has been stated the school system is failing the children of today, the adults of tomorrow, at an incredible pace. The OP stated issue with the inability to grasp 10% calculations is merely another example of the simple things that are being lost.
Also just the way they think has been degraded. Here is an example of a recent problem issue.
Solve for X
X[SUP]2[/SUP] = 25
no problem X = 5 and X = -5
Same problem
Solve for X
X[SUP]2[/SUP] - 25 = 0
Can't do it.
Same problem
Solve for X
(X-5) (X+5) = 0
Can't do it.
There is a problem with the way things are being taught or not taught as the case may be.
A common statement that is heard.
Why do I need to learn this. I will just learn it in college.
If you don't know how to do it by college then the college math will leave them in the dust and they will spend their tuition money in remedial math classes before they even start their real 4 year degree classes.
Creamer
Elite Member
I have to agree that many kids do not have basic math skills but they have been taught in school they jusut never use them and it is forgotten whereas we had to use them in follow-on courses. As for making change that was easy to teach my kids - we volunteer with a youth soccer league and they helped in the concession stand. It just became 2nd nature for them. So did counting money and calculating profits, inventory management, etc. Volunteering and bringing your kids along with you is valuable instruction - it demonstrates the need to hang onto what they have learned and the repetition firmly plants the techniques in their brains. Maybe it isn't all our school's faults.
As for the 10% technique our kids got that down firm - 10% tithe that started with their allowance. Figuring it every week. Maybe we need to get back to the business of parenting.
BTW - my father never made it past 8th grade but calculating depreciation and ROI in his head or on the back of envelope was normal for him. Usage is a big factor.
As an engineer I use geometry and trig functions all the time and they are second nature but logarithms - I cannot remember using them and I surely to not have them in my head - my calculator will do them well when needed.
As for the 10% technique our kids got that down firm - 10% tithe that started with their allowance. Figuring it every week. Maybe we need to get back to the business of parenting.
BTW - my father never made it past 8th grade but calculating depreciation and ROI in his head or on the back of envelope was normal for him. Usage is a big factor.
As an engineer I use geometry and trig functions all the time and they are second nature but logarithms - I cannot remember using them and I surely to not have them in my head - my calculator will do them well when needed.
Creamer
Elite Member
I have to agree that some of the new methods are very confusing - I had to figure out how they were trying to teach it and then showed my kids their method and another method or two. They could make it easier.
TCJatko
Platinum Member
Careful! These days that probably qualifies as child abuse.
Creamer
Elite Member
I hear you there!
Professor Marvel
Platinum Member
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1984, Brave New World, etc, etc. No news here. People who are able to think are a threat to the manipulation of society. The dumbing down of students is no accident. Let's not pretend to be surprised. If you can't add you can't figure out just how bad you are being screwed by the gazillions being spent by government, let alone their progressive policies. If they can't even divide by ten they are no threat.
I could go on forever but I am pretty sure the people in this forum get my point.
I could go on forever but I am pretty sure the people in this forum get my point.
Egon
Epic Contributor
paulharvey
Veteran Member
The point is that of 57 people, and above average at skills, in theory, only a handful passed. I think it's the fact they don't right it out as a math problem or function or whatever that messes people up.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
It does depend on the school. My kids go to a charter school and they have to work their fanny off for school. It was particularly bad around 5th grade. The workload was horrible. The workload as eased a bit but my kids are learning subjects at much deeper level than I did, at least one and I think for some subjects, three years before I did in school. I went to a HS in two states and I can't complain about the quality of the overall education but that was decades ago. :laughing:
While the kids are getting a good education, doing simple math is not their strong suite. Counting change is a skill I learned when I worked in retail. It is not rocket science but it is something that has to be taught. I suspect it is a skill that will slowly disappear as people stop using cash. Recently, I gave one of the kids some cash while we were out to buy some food. What a PITA since now I have more change to deal with. :laughing::laughing::laughing:
My high school had a class on finances that covered loans, budgets, check writing, etc. I did not take the class, and many did not, because there were other classes that were more important.
One way to end Social Security as a government retirement benefit is to give $5,000 to each kid at the age of 18 and have the money invested in an index fund but that is a different conversation that would turn political. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing:
Later,
Dan
While the kids are getting a good education, doing simple math is not their strong suite. Counting change is a skill I learned when I worked in retail. It is not rocket science but it is something that has to be taught. I suspect it is a skill that will slowly disappear as people stop using cash. Recently, I gave one of the kids some cash while we were out to buy some food. What a PITA since now I have more change to deal with. :laughing::laughing::laughing:
My high school had a class on finances that covered loans, budgets, check writing, etc. I did not take the class, and many did not, because there were other classes that were more important.
One way to end Social Security as a government retirement benefit is to give $5,000 to each kid at the age of 18 and have the money invested in an index fund but that is a different conversation that would turn political. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing:
Later,
Dan
