New math?

Discussion in 'New Roundtable' started by shane0911, Mar 1, 2014.

  1. shane0911

    shane0911 Helping lost idiots find their village

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  2. mctiger

    mctiger RIP, and thanks for the music Staff Member

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    I have mixed emotions about this. It seems they are eliminating the concept of teaching subtraction; they've found a way to turn a subtraction problem into an addition problem. And once I got that concept, it really does seem to be easy. I'm not sure how it will work out when you're dealing with bigger numbers, though. Its going to be difficult to do it in your head.
     
  3. Cajun Sensation

    Cajun Sensation I'm kind of a big deal Staff Member

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    My kids are doing the "Common Core" method of reading.

    It's wildly controversial.

    My kids are straight A students so IDGAF.
     
  4. islstl

    islstl Playoff committee is a group of great football men Staff Member

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    New meth, more like it. Or less.

    Let's see, 2 calculations or 7, 2 calculations or 7? Can somebody help me here, which is the bigger number and thus more work needing to be done?

    Can we make the kids plot on just one quadrant of the xy plane as well while we're at it?
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2014
  5. mobius481

    mobius481 Registered Member

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    Different people learn and understand math differently. I never did math the way I was taught because my method worked better for me. Why not teach several methods and let the kids decide which to use.
     
  6. mctiger

    mctiger RIP, and thanks for the music Staff Member

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    @shane0911 @Cajun Sensation Showed the link in the OP to my wife (career elementary teacher) and she says that method of teaching subtraction has been around since long before Common Core. She also says that this has nothing to do with Common Core, which is an idea for promoting universal standards of expectations for learning. Each state can choose its own curriculum, just so long as at the end of the year, they have the same grade level expectations as everyone else.
     
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  7. shane0911

    shane0911 Helping lost idiots find their village

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    @mctiger you know when my wife showed it to me my first reaction was "wtf" but I started thinking about how the U.S. always sucks at math and science. I wondered if this is how Asians learn math and if so then I guess it cant be all bad. I don't like it and I think its crazy to do so many extra steps to get to the same place.
     
  8. mctiger

    mctiger RIP, and thanks for the music Staff Member

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    @shane0911 That's why I say its a good method for smaller numbers, but I can't picture being able to use this method for larger numbers without using paper. And the practical application is with money. I'm always doing the math in my head at the cash register; I usually know what change to expect before the cashier tells me the amount. I can't imagine being able to use this method in that way.
     
  9. HalloweenRun

    HalloweenRun Founding Member

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    Another math term for subtraction is taking the difference. This method clearly shows what is different about the two numbers. It seems sound to me. I am a math and science guy. I teach 8th grade. I get it. Instead of memorizing the difference, it is there in front of the student. You need to remember that you guys are looking at this through "grown up", well in some cases that is a stretch, eyes. These children are being TAUGHT the difference, which this method clearly and plainly shoes. THis also takes the abstraction out of learning, more concrete.

    OBTW, subtraction is just adding a negative number.


    And, it has nothing to do with common core. I am so sick of the bitching and moaning about common core. At least in the math world, the only thing people should be bitchin about is that common core has lowered the age where abstract thought is absolutely necessary. We have known for three centuries that the development of the brain's frontal lobe is a major factor in being able to do a lot of stuff, abstract thought is only one of these things. We also know the frontal lobe develops at different rates (and has nothing to do with intelliegence) on children from about 10 to mid 20's. If kids have not crossed that threshold, they are NEVER gonna "get" some facets, most actually, of algebra, where symbols reign supreme.

    Common core has pushed too much algebra to soon to the point where many many students are just not ready. It has nothing to do with intelligence, great schools or teachers, simply the varied development of frontal lobe.

    That is a real beef, but no one talks about that.
     
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  10. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    What's the big deal? They still teach traditional addition and subtraction. But they are also now teaching that there are other ways to arrive at the desired result. It may seem tedious to you on such a small and easy calculation, but kids can't get by on simple 'rithmetic anymore. These kids will all move on to algebra soon and they will better understand the concept when they have to express it as
    12+(3+5+10+2)=32. Freeing the mind to explore different ways of doing things can really help when the formulas get far more complicated.
     

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