Evolution of teaching Math

Last week when purchasing 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:



Teaching Math In 1950

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


Teaching Math In 1960

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?


Teaching Math In 1970

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


Teaching Math In 1980

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.


Teaching Math In 1990

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.)


Teaching Math In 2005

Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producción
es $80

DOK,

That little tidbit of information hits the nail on the head. There must be no math problems on hiring questionairs for sales personnal at Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Gander Mountain, or any of the Major department stores, not to mention any of the food chains. That's also why none of the cashiers can count back change. If the cash register doesn't tell them what the change is they are lost. In the past I've seen this in all of the above stores mentioned. Not only that, about half the kids can't read a tape measure as well. :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Lee L.

You gotta love the last one. How true! LMAO

Would you believe that I worked with a girl a few years ago, one with a degree(!), and she wouldn't be convinced that 100+100=200. Writing a sequence of 100 consecutive numbers added onto a beginning number, and when she came out about 20 off she insisted that she was right and I was wrong!

Sad, isn't it?

At our gun range we have an electronic register. However, it only registers the amount to be charged, not the amount tendered and change to be returned.

Today, we had a couple hundred entries and a couple thousand dollars taken in. At closeout, there was a $1.00 overage. That's because we started the day with .75 extra in quarters in the change drawer, so we had a net gain of .25 for the day.

Not bad for a bunch of retired gents working as range officers and cashiers, too!

That's why we need another .5% sales tax increase. It's for the schools. We must be able to compete in the world. Our teachers need to earn as much as an oil company ceo to be able to teach our young people to be just as dumb as the europeans. Remember, we need that tax increase. It's for the schools. It's for the kids. It's for the community. You will never miss a few billion a year. Come on. Dig deep. You will feel better. HA!!

Sad to say I don't know what our schools are doing. My 11 old grandbaby now is going thru a home schooling program. At the end of the fifth grade shoe couldn't do basic math or english and hard a hard time reading third grade level books.

I know for certian that her "new math" was extremly hard for me to understand. Besides doing bookwork and several computer programs She seems to be learning how to think at home.

More and more we seem to be raising a generation of folks designed to ask that one question> do you want cheese on that big mac?

I taught my kids at home (well the wife did most of it) and I used money and a tape measure ot help them understand the differense between the decimal system and fractions. You'd be surprised at the number of paople who can't read a tape measure these days let alone give you correct change at Micky D's

The last part is all too true. Very funny none the less DOK

That last part wasn't quite finished. Cuanto es la ganancia? Si envia la mitad a casa para traer a su hermana, cuanto le queda?

$10.00 Dolares

I don't think that the last part is funny at all.

I don't think that the last part is funny at all.

It would be, if it wasn't so based in fact.

Lee L.

Anybody need a translation, I'll be happy to oblige.

Anybody need a translation, I'll be happy to oblige.

No thanks, I'm going down with the ship!!

Dan