math

Fifty Years of Math 1959 - 2009 (in the USA )

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it"s ok. )

6. Teaching Math In 2009

Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho.

That gets posted somewhere on this site about once a week.

Unfortunately too true.

I went to college in the fall of 1972. Had never seen a calculator. They started getting real popular soon thereafter. I had a chemistry class in 1973 where they showed us how to use a slide rule. Boy have things changed.


Gene

Good one I like that!! I went back to college for Diesel Technology in 1994, graduated in 1989 from high school. Half of the guys couldn't do basic math the fall of the same year they graduated high school. And trust me I wasn't the top of my high school class.

There is still some good math being taught, just the majority doesn't want anything to do with it. The following two questions came off my College Algebra quiz from last week.


1) The speed of a stream is 5mph. If a boat travels 50 miles downstream in the same time that it takes to travel 25 miles upstream, what is the speed of the boat in still water?


2) When Barb does a job by herself, it takes her 7 hours. If Barb and Wilma work together it takes 6 hours to do the same job. How long does it take Wilma to do the job if she works alone?

I frequently even the total with a few coins an it almost always sends them into a tail spin as you experienced.

Glenn F.

I'd just be glade if I can understand them when they speak...............English?????
(and I mean the ones that English is their main language!)

It's the same way if you buy something for say $5.98 and give the clerk a $10 bill and a loonie. They're confused out of their mind and will give you back the loonie saying the $10 will cover it. I don't want a pile of change to carry in my pocket. Dave

Heres the other side of the coin.

Students in 1960: Teacher gives assignment at end of class. The next day all work is done and student asks for help one of the harder problems. Student that doesn't do work gets spanking at home.

Students in 1970: Teacher gives assignment at end of class. the next day all work is done. Some students ask for help. Parents tell kids to work hard.

Students in 1980: teacher gives assignment at end of class. Next day most do the work, a few ask why do we have to do this? Parent makes excuses for their kid not doing the work but does make sure it gets done after a call home

Students in 1990: Teacher gives assignment and most of class whines and asks do we have to do it! No one asks for help. Teacher calls parents about the kids that are failing and parent says they just cant control the kid. Do you (teacher) have any ideas? And asks if there is any alternative assignment so their child will still get a passing grade.

Students in 2000: Teacher gives assignment, gives time in class to work on it cause the next day no one will have it done if it is "home"work. Parent calls school principal to complain about Mr. $^%$^& who gave their perfect angel a failing grade. Then request their child be put in a different class with a "better" teacher. In the meantime, the teacher gets reamed by their principal for giving too many failing grades and told they have to call the parents of all failing students ( most of who yo cannot contact) and convince the parent to make their child come in for tutoring.


Some of you may think this is making excuses. I love my job but I can assure you most of us try very hard to teach but it is becoming an uphill battle with parents being the biggest roadblock. Every time I get a child who's parents are supportive, I know that I will get good grades from them or at least as high as they are capable of. But when the parent makes excuses and blames everyone but their kid, I know that I will get nothing.

Well thats my two cents.

It is interesting, the previous math I took and the current one I am in now at college do not allow a calculator at any time. It is actually amazing how many of us can't do simple operations (including myself). It seems in high school we relied on our expensive graphing calculators and they became a crutch.

Here's a little math puzzle that people usually get wrong until they really think about it:

Jim and John empty the money out of their pockets and the total between the two comes up to exactly $20.
Jim's share of the money was exactly $19 MORE than John's share. How much did Jim have and how much did John have?




Hint: If you answered $19 and $1, remember that the difference between $19 and $1 is $18, not $19, so $19 and $1 is not correct. (A calculator or a slap-stick is not needed!)

John = X
Jim = X + $19

X + (X + $19) = $20
X + X + $19 = $20
2X + $19 = $20
2x = $1
x = $.50

John $.50
Jim $19.50

I took two semesters of accounting in college when we filled out spreadsheets by hand on a columnar pad with a lead pencil, then added the columns. And pocket calculators weren't allowed.

Now I'm faced with a calculus class to finish work for a particular degree. I'm so rusty at math I'm going to need a couple of semesters of algebra to get ready to tackle the calculus.

My daughter is currently doing her student teaching at a local vo-tech school.
Secondary Education.

The other night as she was correcting answers on a quiz she had given that day,one of the female students wrote on the quiz "This isn't worth my time" and didn't answer any of the questions.

I don't remember how many students are in the class but only 8 passed the quiz.

My wife is a preschool teacher in Middletown Schools, Middletown Ohio. Read -PRESCHOOL-

She has 3 to 4 year old kids.....
In the course of this year the following is the norm.....

- Being called Nigg*r B!tch
- Being spit in the face
- Being slapped in the face
- Random outbursts of curse words

remember....3 and 4 year olds....

My wife and her assistant have to check for lice every kid every morning.....

Monday (this is no joke) a woman comes in with her daugter, my wife checks the kids hair...has lice...tells the mom to take her home...The mom then says (I kid you not) "Not my kid, she dont have no lice...you took that bug from yo head an put on her head." What do you say to that????

All im gonna say is mom would be a big external_link supporter.....GOD help us all....

yeah, I thought about it a little $19 more....$19 more....$19 more....$19 more....That leaves a dollar to split. Yup. that's it. $19.50

In school the teachers were always on me to "show my work" Shoot, I did it in my head.

Try this sometime. Get an item. Calculate the price, tax included, then tell the cashier the total before you pay for it. Gotta love the facial expression when it rings up the same.

Did that come from stickin' stuff in electrical recepticals?

Just kiddin', I think you and I went to school about the same time. I do a lot of math in my head too.

Sparktrician, Things sure are different than when I graduated from Middletown way back in '67! I'm living in Madison Township now and still have the '49 Farmall H that my grandfather bought new three months before I was born. I enjoy taking it to some of the local shows around here. My email is open. Feel free to contact me.

We all need to remember that the parents of the current school generation have never known HARD times - the kind of hard times that make you appreciative of what you have and appreciative of having a job that will allow you and your family to survive.

I hate to say it, but we need a few years of economic downtime to put some backbone back in the American people again. (Of course the government will probably just install more printing presses to keep up with their need for "borrowed" money.)

(quoted from post at 11:11:13 04/03/09) There is still some good math being taught, just the majority doesn't want anything to do with it. The following two questions came off my College Algebra quiz from last week.

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I'm not trying to be a jerk, but [i:92ac936435]College[/i:92ac936435] Algebra? I took Algebra in the 8th grade and was through a year of Calculus by the time I graduated. My how things have changed since 1997.