Teaching

[dolluper]

The other day I went to visit my sister and nephew ,he was at the table doing his math homework useing a calculator.I asked him should you figure that out using the fomula from the book by paper and pencil.He said come on Unc it's faster with the calcu. So I said you better learn to do it using the formula with paper and pencil because when you have a test you can't bring the calculator you know He turns to me and says duh[little sh*t] where have you been we use calculators in all are math tests. This shocked me they are teaching them how not to think amazing Like what's 10 plus 147 response DUH wait till I get my calculator Is it just me or have they changed how you are supposed to learn or think

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Teaching

helo<br /> while I can agree with some of your argument the rest I cannot. its a dicey situation. when I was in the FC A school we had to figgure the fire control solution by hand. we also had to convert between base 10,hexidecimal,octal and binary by hand. I asked one time why. the response was if a missle was incoming how do you know yourgear is right. I replied with missle speeds exceeeding twice the speed of sound by the time we realize the gear was offcalibration the point is moot. davy jones locker has no pen and pad.<br /> while I agree that basic calculations should be able to be performed by hand the rest should be allowed tobe used on a calculator. I have not messed with it in some years but my texas instruments scientific calculator will do about a million things more than I am smart enough to figgure out.<br /> but it goes back to the last hurricane. the power was out for some days. the clerks at the 7-11 could not figgure sales tax without a calculator and even then some just could not do it.<br /> was sad<br />and they wonder why the "furriners" are whooping arse

 

[ndemge]

Re: Teaching

I don't think a calculator should be used until you get to the higher math....<br /><br />You should not be able to use it for any basic arithmitic, + - * / <br /><br />1-8th grade I don't see where a calculator should be used unless they are doing soemthing advance like geometry and need cos / tan etc....<br /><br />Learn how to do it by hand, then learn the fast way on a calculator, but if you don't understand HOW the numbers work, you can't fully understand WHAT they mean.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Teaching

NO argument there just amazed they are not taught how to problem solve with brains instead of machines Just hate to see them survive without brains but maybe that's the new existance

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: Teaching

I bought a new beanie hat the other night at the ski shop.<br />$12.50, I get a 10% discount.<br />The two 18 yr olds behind the counter couldn't figure out how much the discount was, let alone the final price!<br />They charged me $9. I even told them the correct amounts prior to them ringing it up. $1.25 discount, $11.25 total. They just looked at me in surprise that I could do that in my head so fast. But, I guess they figured I was wrong.<br /><br />I just shook my head, paid the $9 and went back to skiing.<br /><br />AK Chappy

 

[dolluper]

Re: Teaching

Ak that's why I guess thier letting them use calculators younger for the experence HAH

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Teaching

Calculators are great tools.<br /><br />School should teach basics first then real world. In the real world we use calculator to do all kinds of stuff.<br /><br />You should be taught how to do it by hand, once you show you can, move on to calculators.<br /><br />BTW, I once dated a girl in HS that could not tell time on an analog clock. Yes, she was blonde.<br /><br />Ken

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Teaching

Who says that the teacher knows how?????????????<br /><br />I wouldnt have my kid in a public school today on a bet!!<br /><br />The majority of the teachers today, IMHO are too busy teaching there personal agendas to even think about teaching little Johnny to read and write, They just want to know how he is going to vote when he gets to be 18.<br /><br />I still think that there are "VERY" few kids that age that even have a clue about politics.<br /><br />Shoot, i really didnt get it untill I was in my thirtys.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Teaching

A couple questions for any who want to answer them;<br /><br />When did public schools start dumbing-down American youth?<br /><br />When did teacher's unions represent the majoirty of teachers in America?

 

[dolluper]

Re: Teaching

Question 1 about the same time they did it in Canada Q2 when they went to Hawaii

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Teaching

Wow, talk about a thread hi-jack.<br /><br /><br />Ken

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Teaching

Heck when I was in school we were forced into Slide Rules. I still have my nice Pickett upstairs in my desk. Calculators we just coning to stores and portable ones were WAY out of a students budget.<br /><br />I agree we need to teach the methods on paper first, then in the head and for accuracy go to the calculator last.<br /><br />Bob

 

[spratt]

Re: Teaching

Originally posted by dolluper:<br /> The other day I went to visit my sister and nephew ,he was at the table doing his math homework useing a calculator.I asked him should you figure that out using the fomula from the book by paper and pencil.He said come on Unc it's faster with the calcu. So I said you better learn to do it using the formula with paper and pencil because when you have a test you can't bring the calculator you know He turns to me and says duh[little sh*t] where have you been we use calculators in all are math tests. This shocked me they are teaching them how not to think amazing Like what's 10 plus 147 response DUH wait till I get my calculator Is it just me or have they changed how you are supposed to learn or think

Dude, certainly you have noticed all these young kids who take part time jobs at stores as cashiers, but they cannot EVEN count ou cahnge without the machine telling them how much!!!??? I know that when they tell me how much t costs, I automatically figure they owe me back a certain amount, but these kids have to look at the register several times while they count out the change...and then DON'T get it right somtimes. That really erally irks me!! Once I told a girl how much change it would be, and she would not believe me until her manager came over and helped her!!!!!!! I was totally dumbfounded...

 

[jtexas]

Re: Teaching

What age/grade nephew, dolluper? I was helping my youngest (7th grade) with her algebra (honors program), first few weeks they couldn't use calculators and she was spending way more time doing long division than algebra. At that stage the arithmetic is just busy-work. Plus which one little miscalc or slip a digit and it takes forever to trouble-shoot. But, you got to learn the long division in the first place.

 

[spratt]

Re: Teaching

Most all of us here are old enought o remember having to learn math on paper with a pencil...no doubt about it!! I went to a Tech College about 16 years ago, and learned all that Hexadecimal, Octal, Binary counting and conversion, too...had to learn it by hand, then they showedus how to take a scientific calculator and do it by a push of a button...POOF, just like JB, and there it was...the answer...true, we SO use calculators in the REAL world, but the REAL world also requires that a person be able to think on their feet FIRST!!!! Too many of today's youth cannot. Not that they are stupid or ignorant, for they are teaching lots of stuff they never taught when we were in school, like pottery, jewelry making, swimming, rudeness, etc....along with the basics of How to figger on a Cakalater...

 

[dolluper]

Re: Teaching

He's in grade 8 and he's 12 too bright for his own good though I'II straighten that out soon before he hits high school next year

 

[cbnoodles]

Re: Teaching

Here are the questions that need asking:<br /><br />Do you or anyone you know carry a calculator everywhere you go? If so, do you have the ability to stop everything to get it figured out? I suspect most people (and by most, I mean MOST) answered both questions in the negative.<br /><br />My point is that while a calculator is a great tool for common use, there invariably comes a time when you'd better be able to do it in your head or on paper with a pencil. To that end, schools should favor neither one method or the other and teach students to take advantage of as many tools as there are at their disposal.

 

[Bassy]

Re: Teaching

As a teacher I say "show your work". That means the right answer is only part of the credit. No calculators!<br />Bassy

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: Teaching

Thank You Bassy,<br />Please teach the rest of the teachers to do this.<br /><br />If only it was that easy. My middle son can easily do the math in his head, and does, but can't understand the logic of "show your work". He was getting the wrong answer on one not too long ago, I made him do it on paper. He did it the same way as he did in his head, but I was able to "troubleshoot" his error and point it out. He still won't show his work unless I ride herd on him......grrrrrrrrrr.<br /><br />Ok, rant over.<br /><br />AK Chappy

 

[aspeck]

Re: Teaching

I end up helping several of the church youth with their homework. They pull out their calculators and I promptly tell them to put them away. "But teacher lets us." That is fine for the teacher is my reply, but if you want my help, you will learn to do it without the calc. Then we discuss tricks to make basic equations easier. Before long MOST are having fun trying to do the work faster in their head than on the calculator. The ones that don't - they are doomed to having difficulty with basic addition and subraction all their lives.