The History of Math

[Clint]

Originally Posted by drgibson

Rowdy I have to disagree.

With respect, you didn't give me one example that didn't apply in the 1950's. With regard to technology, it's the same tired old complaint every generation: They don't have to think for themselves. I say BS. Look at the phenomenal things kids can do these days! No, maybe they don't have to do long division, but they do countless things that no one would've thought possible half a century ago.

As for not reasoning and conceptualizing, nonsense. They just do it differently. Go ask someone who raised kids in the 1950's whether they sighed and shook their heads over "kids these days". I'd bet a day's wage (1950's wages) that most would say yup.

Nothing's changed. The world isn't going down the toilet. Kids aren't getting stupid. It's just that "reality" television, instantaneous "news" (read: entertainment), and Oprah have led us to believe that this is the way kids are. If you got to know 1000 kids in person, and not through tv sitcoms or the Daily Rag, you'd likely feel differently. Put simply, the media and old fogeyism has colored our perception of today's youth.

I say it ain't so. Every generation offers something new, whether the codgers appreciate it or not. And every generation of codgers has made the same grumbly complaint. It's nothing new.

[bud van houten]

CODGER...CODGER... why you young whipper-snapper, i remember the day when....yeah, yeah, yeah.
actually, i agree with you rowdy. that's why when i see a kid with a weird haircut, piercing, or whatever, i "try" to remember when i was a kid and all the crazy things i did that drove the "old codgers" crazy. like in 1962, our high school basketball first string(which i was one)dyed an orange streak down the middle of our hair. that was pretty wild and crazy back then, and i didn't turn out too bad...well some might take exception to that. later, bud

[Clint]

Well, that's a first. No one's ever agreed with me about anything here. So this is what it's like when doves cry.

[drgibson]

Hmm I thought doves only cried when you squeezed them real hard.

[Louis]

What? Someone has agreed with Clint?

You know what this means Rowdy, we'll have no choice but to fire you!

[Clint]

I knew this day would come.

[The Teach]

Isn't the dropout rate at an all time high? Somewhere over 30%?

[Clint]

For someone who calls himself "The Teach", I'd think you'd be more analytical than that. You've taken one sensationalistic headline and turned it into a nasty internet rumor.

I can do that, too. U.S. High School Graduation Rate Hits All-time High

[tnichols]

There are some skills that the teenagers are missing. That is a fact. For example, I had a nightshift position open and interviewed 20 highschool seniors. I asked them one simple question. customer's total is 10.59, they give you 11.00, what is their change? Out of 20, only 2 got it right. Of the two who passed, I asked how they would handle constructive criticism. Both said they would "just ignore it"
The one I hired couldn't count back change, but she could handle criticism. I spent the time teaching her, and now she is one of my best employees.
I've come to the conclusion that there are some who will make it in life, and those who "know it all already" and will live off welfare for the rest of their life.

[Clint]

Here's the problem with that anecdote, t: You were hiring for a nightshift from a group of students for which night work is illegal! Who did you expect, the honor roll? That's what I'm getting at. We make assumptions based on small, deceptive instances and not after looking at all the facts. Had you been interviewing for an internship at a web development firm... you see where this is going.

[drgibson]

Rowdy if we are getting smarter or even staying at the same IQ level then why is the average amount of debt per household rising, why is the national debt being allowed to escalate to such astronomical proportions, why are there so many more people that need financial help, why are so many people in need of help just to cope with day to day life. Why do we continue to complicate our lives to the point that we are so stressed out that we can’t even get a good nights sleep. All of these things are signs that we are making poor choices.

[MagnumForce]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Well, that's a first. No one's ever agreed with me about anything here. So this is what it's like when doves cry.

How can u just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I'm just 2 demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father 2 bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

[dragbar]

Hey..don't blame kids for rising debt...blame the 40-60 year olds that hold the majority of that debt...LOL

I was NOT good in math at school at all. I absolutely HATE fractions, I even hate standard tools...screw 5/8ths...give me a dam metric number..lol

I'm actually better at math NOW than when I was being taught. Because most of the math wasn't being taught in a real world example. Of course that was at my particular school and the only reason I failed Algebra was because I never wrote out 20 steps to a problem..just did it.

[Clint]

Agreed, dr. It's for a number of reasons. One, life is easier. It's easier so we have more time to watch the boob tube. We watch the boob tube and it tells us how we should look and what we should own to be popular and successful. We do that, and we incur debt. We're bombarded with credit card apps. We accept them to meet society's demands on us. No, it's not smart, but that has more to do with choices than with intelligence. We should be teaching finance in high school. We should teach critical thinking. We should shorten the absurdly long summer vacation and teach these important things.

Still, despite debt problems and high school dropouts who give you too much change, I believe we're making progress. Life has been getting more complicated since day one. Cave men during the ice age had it simple: kill, eat, or be eaten. Is that better than our way of life? Remember Brooks Hadlin in The Shawshank Redemption? He thought the world moved too fast in the 50's. Its the same thing all over again in the 21st century. Let's just deal and move on.

[robertc729]

Originally Posted by The Teach

Isn't the dropout rate at an all time high? Somewhere over 30%?

One main reason the dropout rate is so high, is that in my area anyway, it seems as if the school system is more concerned about the amount of money they receive for each child that comes to school each day. Instead, they should be focusing on why they are there (which is to teach), as well as why the kids are there (which is to learn). I heard all too often when I was in school about how much money is received just because we showed up to school. If instead of handing out money for kids showing up to school, they were to be given money for, I don't know, say actually proving that the kids were learning and being provided the tools needed to be successful, maybe just maybe, the kids would feel that their education is of more importance than the all mighty dollar, as they have all been lead to believe, therefore resulting in a lower dropout rate because they would then believe that they actually mattered and were not just a ca-ching everytime they walked through those doors. I will now end my rant and step off the soapbox.....

[Clint]

I'm lucky, dragbar. I was raised by a carpenter, so I know fractions inside and out. I agree, though. The metric system is far and away better. Try telling that to a fifty-something tradesman.

[Trapper]

Originally Posted by dragbar

I was NOT good in math at school at all. I absolutely HATE fractions, I even hate standard tools...screw 5/8ths...give me a dam metric number..lol

THAT'S why you didn't get a Harley!

[Louis]

One thing I never understood is why 5280 feet make a mile.

[Trapper]

It's because 1/5280th of a mile equals a foot. sheesh.

[Louis]

How silly of me! Why didn't I think of that!