Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

nightning · 11-21-2007, 02:35 AM

I caught this vid from another forum...

YouTube - Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

What do people think about this? Comments? Agreement? Outrage?

sundowning · 11-21-2007, 03:40 AM

Anyone got a brief overview?

-resident luddite

ptgatsby · 11-21-2007, 04:28 AM

Outrage. If I ever have a kid, I will be teaching them.

prplchknz · 11-21-2007, 04:33 AM

If I was taught that method as a kid.... What are they thinking? I can do mental math because I'm able to line the numbers in my head like

45
X 12

no way I'd be able to do that if I had learned that method. I know how to reason, but really I think should be taught in highschool even college not 3rd grade. I hated 3rd grade math, but I would have hated it more even someone didn't tell me how to work a problem then told me to do it and when I got it wrong marked it wrong, knowing that I would not know. Also I don't like the set in stone rule, I understand kids need to learn rules for math, but if it's a word problem and the kid solves it unconventially and the solution and the work makes sense shouldn't they get credit?

niffer · 11-21-2007, 06:14 AM

These new methods are completely ridiculous. They are time consuming and mentally exhausting. Wtf is a cluster anyways? If you want to teach kids how to cluster mentally, it should be taught after the standard algorithm is. It is no wonder that the average level of intelligence in America's schools is taking a downward plunge. Those books do not teach math, and all should be burned at once.

Btw, the woman in the video writes her 8's funny.

arcticangel02 · 11-21-2007, 06:52 AM

Notice how she gets really condescending when talking about the Turc cluster method?

But I agree. The 'new' methods seem more confusing (and time consuming) than the standard algorithm. *shrug*

Randomnity · 11-21-2007, 03:22 PM

As far as I know they aren't teaching those methods here.

The lattice method made me laugh. Now that's complicating things.

Oberon · 11-21-2007, 03:56 PM

I was investigated last week by Department of Homeland Security for teaching my kids math at home.

Well, actually, it wasn't so much the teaching that was the problem as my Weapons of Math Instruction...

nightning · 11-21-2007, 04:13 PM

The lattice method is certainly different... very visual in an Ne appealing way. It doesn't explain why it works though. Nor is transition between that and the normal method easy.

But you have to admit that the Turc cluster method IS rather silly. Guess and test is the slowest and least preferred method of problem solving. It's almost like they teach with the expectations that kids are too stupid to learn basic arithmetic. On one hand, you have these self-esteem classes that tries to booster self-confidence in academic abilities... on the other, the very teaching system they try to implement expects kids to fail and does nothing to help build confidence in their actual math abilities... I think it spells disaster... very sad. I hope this does not spread.

Oberon: Weapons of Math hey? What were you trying to teach them? Angle and initial velocity calculations for how to hit the pentagon with a missile? j/k

Oberon · 11-21-2007, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightning

Oberon: Weapons of Math hey? What were you trying to teach them? Angle and initial velocity calculations for how to hit the pentagon with a missile? j/k

It might work better if you say the phrase "Weapons of Math Instruction" aloud a couple of times.

11-21-2007, 02:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
nightning ish red no longer sad Join Date: Apr 2007 Type: INfJ Location: INTJ license revoked :( Posts: 3,343	Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth I caught this vid from another forum... YouTube - Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth What do people think about this? Comments? Agreement? Outrage?

11-21-2007, 06:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
arcticangel02 To the top of the world Join Date: Oct 2007 Type: eNFP Location: IA Posts: 922	Notice how she gets really condescending when talking about the Turc cluster method? But I agree. The 'new' methods seem more confusing (and time consuming) than the standard algorithm. shrug __________________ ANFP: Extraversion (52%) ---- Introversion (48%) Sensing (26%) ---- iNtuition (74%) Thinking (16%) ---- Feeling (84%) Judging (5%) ---- Perceiving (95%) 9w1 so/sx/sp

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11-21-2007, 03:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
sundowning Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Type: ISTP Location: Winnipeg Posts: 259	Anyone got a brief overview? -resident luddite

11-21-2007, 04:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
ptgatsby Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Type: ISTP Location: Vancouver, BC, CA Posts: 4,091	Outrage. If I ever have a kid, I will be teaching them.

11-21-2007, 04:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
prplchknz and free bunnies! Join Date: Jun 2007 Type: INFP Posts: 4,274	If I was taught that method as a kid.... What are they thinking? I can do mental math because I'm able to line the numbers in my head like 45 X 12 no way I'd be able to do that if I had learned that method. I know how to reason, but really I think should be taught in highschool even college not 3rd grade. I hated 3rd grade math, but I would have hated it more even someone didn't tell me how to work a problem then told me to do it and when I got it wrong marked it wrong, knowing that I would not know. Also I don't like the set in stone rule, I understand kids need to learn rules for math, but if it's a word problem and the kid solves it unconventially and the solution and the work makes sense shouldn't they get credit?

11-21-2007, 03:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Randomnity insert random title here Join Date: May 2007 Type: ISTP Posts: 1,455	As far as I know they aren't teaching those methods here. The lattice method made me laugh. Now that's complicating things.

11-21-2007, 03:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
Oberon Mouster of the Universe Join Date: Jul 2007 Type: ENTP Location: North Carolina Posts: 5,157	I was investigated last week by Department of Homeland Security for teaching my kids math at home. Well, actually, it wasn't so much the teaching that was the problem as my Weapons of Math Instruction...

11-21-2007, 04:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
nightning ish red no longer sad Join Date: Apr 2007 Type: INfJ Location: INTJ license revoked :( Posts: 3,343	The lattice method is certainly different... very visual in an Ne appealing way. It doesn't explain why it works though. Nor is transition between that and the normal method easy. But you have to admit that the Turc cluster method IS rather silly. Guess and test is the slowest and least preferred method of problem solving. It's almost like they teach with the expectations that kids are too stupid to learn basic arithmetic. On one hand, you have these self-esteem classes that tries to booster self-confidence in academic abilities... on the other, the very teaching system they try to implement expects kids to fail and does nothing to help build confidence in their actual math abilities... I think it spells disaster... very sad. I hope this does not spread. Oberon: Weapons of Math hey? What were you trying to teach them? Angle and initial velocity calculations for how to hit the pentagon with a missile? j/k