3x4=11

[Nomad.2nd]

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-math-under-common-core-3-x-4-151805230.html

 

[JBE]

In other words, he wants students to start using the same kind of math that he is using to balance the budget - doesn't matter if it adds up or not as long as it makes sense to him.

The dumbing down of America continues

 

[Leonidas]

So, if we can explain how 8AM to 3PM means she is only working 4 hours per and hence we are reducing her pay by 70 percent for half a day's work, she, umm, will be good with that. Kool.

 

[swamper]

I thought number theory was a junior or senior level course in college.

Next, it will be 11 feels like the right answer.

 

[JNieman]

I'm sure a couple key sentences will be reprinted and spun way out of context but on the whole I like the idea.

If you understand /why/ 9 x 8 is what it is, you can figure out ANY number. If you teach people like they teach them in China and Korea, and you just have them blindly memorize multiplication tables, they're completely unable to solve the problem if they are confronted with a numerical combination not on a chart they've seen before.

Obviously this whole thing is not literal... no one is allowed to succeed long-term thinking 3x4=11, but partial credit for thinking it through, but executing it incorrectly is a good thing.

Standardized scantron testing has been a crutch that hurts more than helps. People don't know how to think, they know how to regurgitate, unless they are taught beyond the standard/minimum. We should look to east asia and learn from their inadequacy. Teaching the logic is more important than memorizing solutions.

 

[LACamper]

ok... I'm agreeing with JNieman (hmmm.... )

Seriously, you don't remember getting partial credit on the longer math and chemistry problems? That doesn't mean they get full credit if they got it wrong though.

 

[gsneff]

This is absurd! GET LOUISIANA OUT OF THE COMMON CORE SYSTEM!

I agree with Jnieman that strict memorization is not the answer but as a 28 year old who has been through the modern public education system I can say that the current system is not all bad and throwing out the system in favor of ANYTHING applied by Obama is just going to make things worst.

also, don't believe the spin being put out by the common core advocates. This system is NOT how the other nations teach their kids. They originally said it was internationally endorsed but had to retract that when every foreign governmeny said they rejected the plan so they now say its internationally reviewed. A big difference.

 

[S&W4ME]

Holy ****, I would have been a straight A student

 

[JBE]

After doing a little reading on this whole "Common Core" thing I'm left with a lot more questions than answers. There is way more to this Common Core Curriculum than what was included in Nomad's link, which only scratches the surface vaguely.

Apparently, it's a set of national standards for education being pushed by the Fed and it seems as if states don't adopt these "standards" than they are susceptible to having types of federal funding being cut off.

Cursory reading reveals that proponents are saying that these new standards are even tougher than what many states have in place already, but there are also opponents who say that these new standards will put American even farther behind than other educationally-progressive countries.

Some good links:

Common Core States Standards Initiative

Stop Common Core Now

Seems two major points of Common Core are that includes standardized, national testing and the reporting of student personal information to the Fed.

 

[Leonidas]

Holy ****, I would have been a straight A student

You could always go back through, again. Maybe your Dad will give you a hotel chain when you finish.

 

[JNieman]

I've tried to read up on Common Core a few times in the past months and like you said, JBE, I usually end up with more questions than answers. I should take another stab at reading about it I guess.

 

[blitztech]

The public school system is a babysitting organization. I transferred from a private school (that I attended my entire life) to a public school in the middle of my 11th grade year. I was shocked when I discovered you never had to turn in homework and the tests were a joke. I skipped 81 days (of a 180 day school year) my senior year and had a 3.7 GPA that year. I'd go in to class the day before tests, find out what was going to be on it and show up and ace the tests. The kids around me were completely clueless and incessantly asking for help. Most of them couldn't read worth a damn and they were dropping out like flies because it was too hard for them. That's about the time I decided I didn't want kids unless I was able to afford a private education for them.

 

[AustinBR]

The public school system is a babysitting organization. I transferred from a private school (that I attended my entire life) to a public school in the middle of my 11th grade year. I was shocked when I discovered you never had to turn in homework and the tests were a joke. I skipped 81 days (of a 180 day school year) my senior year and had a 3.7 GPA that year. I'd go in to class the day before tests, find out what was going to be on it and show up and ace the tests. The kids around me were completely clueless and incessantly asking for help. Most of them couldn't read worth a damn and they were dropping out like flies because it was too hard for them. That's about the time I decided I didn't want kids unless I was able to afford a private education for them.

That's how college has been for me for most of the classes. I went to all private schools from pre-k to 12th grade and am now in the LSU Honor College / College of Business. The "intro" classes at LSU are comically easy, yet so many people fail. In my accounting class last semester, over 70% of the class had dropped out of the class by the end of the semester. Of the remaining 30% (150 or so students), a good 20% failed from what I heard. The class was stupid easy. I agree that something needs to be done about public education. The inability to do simple math without a phone or paper still amazes me.

 

[JLouv]

Wtf?

It's NUMBERS!!!!

If there's only one thing in life that isn't open to interpretation....it's the freaking numbers! They're exact and specific. No room for error.

Just ask Mason.

 

[JWG223]

I'm sure a couple key sentences will be reprinted and spun way out of context but on the whole I like the idea.

If you understand /why/ 9 x 8 is what it is, you can figure out ANY number. If you teach people like they teach them in China and Korea, and you just have them blindly memorize multiplication tables, they're completely unable to solve the problem if they are confronted with a numerical combination not on a chart they've seen before.

Obviously this whole thing is not literal... no one is allowed to succeed long-term thinking 3x4=11, but partial credit for thinking it through, but executing it incorrectly is a good thing.

Standardized scantron testing has been a crutch that hurts more than helps. People don't know how to think, they know how to regurgitate, unless they are taught beyond the standard/minimum. We should look to east asia and learn from their inadequacy. Teaching the logic is more important than memorizing solutions.

I totally agree. My first 2.5 years of college was wrote memorizing, and other than chemistry, it was seriously easy. I went through most 200 level courses without studying more than a few hours before a test, never took notes, and managed a mid 3's gpa. Party time.

The last 2 years of college were all critical thinking as relates to a system and that to a comprehensive whole. It was insanely hard to switch gears into that, and it took a ton more actual mental horsepower. It did change how I viewed the world, etc. Though.

 

[blitztech]

My first two years of college I was bored out of my mind. Never attended classes and only went on exam days. I'd get the test info from friends and read the chapters before the tests. I didn't even begin to enjoy college until I got in to my senior level classes. My last semester I was ready to be done with it. Loaded up a 20 hour schedule. I took a leave of absence from work, even stopped going to bars and playing video games. Hardest semester of my life. I finally felt challenged.

All they have to do is hold these children accountable. That's all the private school did, and even the biggest slackers at that school would've easily passed any of my standardized exams my senior year in public school.

This story sums it all up. I had an economics class my senior year. The first test I received a 96. It turned out to be the highest grade in the class. I asked the teacher if he would consider raising my grade to a 100 and give everyone a 4 pt curve. While he considered it one of the students who had failed blurted out "you just want a hundred," to which the teacher responded "those 4 points will bring you up to a C." He shut up and we all got the 4 pts. How dumb is that?

 

[Mr Manouche]

I can't help but think children are being encouraged to BS their way thru school.

 

[JNieman]

I can't help but think children are being encouraged to BS their way thru school.

Sounds like good prep for the working world judging by the bosses and supervisors I've had.

 

[rrussotwo]

I'm with JNieman on this one.

CC has many problems and a lot of those problems are dependent on the publisher of choice. I despise the shackling of teachers. I loathe the emphasis on emotional learning. I detest the "one size fits all" mentality.

Common core has lots of other problems worth fighting against. This isn't one of them.

Fight the fights worth fighting.

 

[Mr Manouche]

Sounds like good prep for the working world judging by the bosses and supervisors I've had.

You're right. Our future accountants better be some charming SOB's if they're gona tell me that 3x4=11