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July 16 Math WarsI admit, I'm old enough to remember manual pencil sharpeners, cars that, when the hood is opened, allowed you to still see the ground, telephones with round dials (I'm still hassling "dialing a number" on a phone with buttons, but that's my problem.), televisions without remotes and 45s (records, not the gun). So, reading an article on parents who are going against the current teaching, and showing their children long division. I have to admit I read the story because I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, what the parents were doing wrong. I finally reached the paragraph that explained.
Apparently, the current teaching theory says that kids are taught the comcepts. As someone said in the story, ": "Would you want to go to a doctor who's learned about the concepts but never done the surgery? Would you want your doctor to say I had the right IDEA when I removed your appendix, though I took out the wrong one?"
OK, I'm willing to defend teachers and methodology. However, another paragraph explained what the children are being taught:
". . .multiply 88 by 5, we'll do it with pen and paper, multiplying 8 by 5 and carrying over the 4, etc.
But a child today might reason that 5 is half of 10, and 88 times 10 is 880, so 88 times 5 is half of
that, 440 . . ."
I had enough trouble with long division - instead I still do - but I don't know that I would have been nearly as close if the above method was taught. I think I understand the idea, but, even without any children, I believe in the fundamentals.
Of course, it would have been better if there were more than a single example in the story, but I guess editors have their priorities.
No matter what, 2 plus 2 equals 4. I guess it doesn't really matter how you get there as long as you do, but I still have questions.
Calculators in the classroom. Math programs on the computer. I think I like the idea that people once were expected to think for themselves. I guess we've come a long was since then. That is, until the computer crashes. (After all, we are talking about a PC, usually running one of the inevitably popular operating systems by Microsoft. (Did I say popular?) Forgive me, I'm tired.
I have to admit I'm no math wizard. In fact, I don't even balance my checkbook. I just make it a point to never write checks, or make electronic payments, in excess of my last deposit. This means, if all goes well, I have a little next egg at the end of the year.
Life is good. Who needs concepts?
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