Some of you old farts on the Hog (Page 3): Now I understand why my granddaughter has so much trouble with math. It took two tutors and an extra math class Saturday mornings to help her...

LoisCroft Loc: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Now I understand why my granddaughter has so much trouble with math. It took two tutors and an extra math class Saturday mornings to help her understand this stuff. My kids did just fine with times tables and two of them had no aptitude for math whatsoever.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

John_F wrote:

All they did was to factor the equation: 35x12 = (30 + 5)x(10 + 2). 35 could be written as 5x7 and 12 as 2x6. What if 35 is a variable A and 12 is B. Suppose A is the sum or product of an exponential and a radical. Suppose further B is the sum or product of a sin or cosine or tangent and a line integral or a derivative. My point - lost in the woods.

And the woodsman cut off the head of the wolf and freed grandma....Little Red Riding Hood was soooo happy. LOL.
Rich...

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Huey Driver wrote:

Some of you old farts on the Hog

need to go back to school and learn this stuff This is some of what's being taught to your kids, etc. I'm sure when they graduate they will throw out the old math and use this in everyday living? Give me a break ! ! !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlfa5v3ullg

We have a few grandchildren in different high schools in two states. They are not taught how to read nor taught how to write in cursive, script or longhand.

olddutch Loc: Beloit, Wisconsin

Why make a left turn when three right turns will do the same for you.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

this is why texting is so popular. it's just like going back to the 1840's. no wonder China is kicking our ass.

rdemarco52 Loc: Wantagh, NY

After seeing this, I understand so much more about young people, especially the first timers in Congress. If this is the way they were educated, we are doomed.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I looked at the video just 40 minutes ago. I've just tried to complete it now. Not got a clue what I'm doing.

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

rmorrison1116 wrote:

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it; stop putting words where they were not.
All I said is it's a visual technique used to teach children the relationship between the numbers in a mathematical equation without having to memorize the times tables. There's more to learning than just memorization. There's also understanding, which obviously, you don't.

Tom Lehrer nailed it: “In the new approach, as you know, the important thing is to understand what you’re doing rather than get the right answer”. He missed it on just one point – they don’t even know what they’re doing!!!!

Loren - Baguio City

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

fotkaman wrote:

How'bout the merchant's math: 35x12 is the same as 12x35
10x35=350
2x35= 70
Total - 420. Done! It can easily be done in head...

Interesting choice of numbers....420.....

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

My daughter was good in math, got a full scholarship to college and a scholarship to a prestigious graduate school - and yet she requires extra time to do anything mathematical and can end up with incorrect results because she was never forced to do math flashcards - what I consider simple and instant division and multiplication does not come automatically to her.

Sirsnapalot Loc: Hammond, Louisiana

Huey Driver wrote:

Some of you old farts on the Hog

need to go back to school and learn this stuff This is some of what's being taught to your kids, etc. I'm sure when they graduate they will throw out the old math and use this in everyday living? Give me a break ! ! !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlfa5v3ullg

That’s why we turn out so many mush brains, bet that’s not the way they teach Math in China!

edwdickinson Loc: Ardmore PA

Why would you spend the 3 minutes she used to figure out the answer that took me 2 seconds to figure out?
How long would it take her to figure out how many seconds more it took her?

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

polonois wrote:

What's wrong with memorization of times tables? It appears to have worked for many years.

It certainly helped get through 8 hours of classroom time. .....

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

sb wrote:

My daughter was good in math, got a full scholarship to college and a scholarship to a prestigious graduate school - and yet she requires extra time to do anything mathematical and can end up with incorrect results because she was never forced to do math flashcards - what I consider simple and instant division and multiplication does not come automatically to her.

Perhaps she is like Mr. Einstein, he supposedly couldn't count change (or maybe just didn't care, or liked to tip the balance) and he was generally regarded as a pretty smart fella.......

Be proud Papa!!!

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

One of my daughters-in-law is a teacher and explained it that teachers are giving the students the option of thinking outside the box. I too memorized multiplication and division tables to the point of doing math in my head. However, my mother told me about getting into trouble in school because she used approximation and some addition to get the correct answers but without writing down the steps. She had the right answer but did not record the steps so she lost credit for the math with the right answer. Btw, she never finished school, she dropped out and had a child by the time she was 17. She was still one of the smartest people I knew, had common sense and logic. Now that is something that needs to be taught and encouraged in schools.