Fifty Years of Math 1957 - 2007 (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 2008
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Originally Posted by cbwm

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

6. Teaching Math In 2008

Praize Jebus, we donna need no stinkin lights, we need ta learn em yungins what intellibent dezine iz. Republikanz iz gud fer lernin! Evilution offenz mee.

You know what's just as dumb as the girl who couldn't make 50 cents change?

Buying a three-heated burger that spent two hours in a holding drawer and has about as much meat on it as Kate Moss.

Hah, forget the hormone injected anemic mad cow disease carrying meat in the burger. I'm just there for the powdered potatoes cooked up in some nice trans-fats to keep my Miller muscle the appropriate size.

In all seriousness, I once stopped at a Burger King just outside of Lake Elsinore to get directions and there was literally not one person working there, or customer, who spoke English. Not one. I really don't find that all that disturbing, but it struck me funny that there is some truth the joke.

I don't think she has much to worry about, pretty soon, all our financial transactions will be done electronically anyways.

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

Praize Jebus, we donna need no stinkin lights, we need ta learn em yungins what intellibent dezine iz. Republikanz iz gud fer lernin! Evilution offenz mee.

I really, truly hope that wasn't a jab at the South. Because, quite honestly, before such things as outcome-based education, mainstreaming and worrying about self-esteem for its own sake (which were imported from places like California, which used to have good schools) North Carolina had a very good school system.

My generation was the last to see true discipline in schools, the last to have to know how to spell and use proper grammar. We were the last to use phonics (which now sells like hotcakes when the schools fail because it works). We were also the last that were forbidden to use calculators. We were taught in elememtary school how to balance a checkbook and count back change from the penny. Though I'm not "a math person" I went through calculus. We EARNED self-esteem by learning and applying what we learned.

I'd happily "redirect" these kids shooting up schools toward the school boards slopping up what worked for whatever agenda it is they have. They stopped letting teachers teach, then suddenly when (gasp!) kids weren't learning they forced teachers to teach kids to take standardized tests to keep the numbers up. And schools they historically ignored completely because of de jure or de facto segregation they made into "magnet" schools, then added insult to injury by wasting money better spent on making all the schools better on busing.

Colman McCarthy said back in 1990 that if a foreign power had imposed upon us the educational standards we've accepted for ourselves, we'd consider it an act of war. I used that quote in a paper the year I graduated from high school, one that earned me a scholarship, no less. I'll give you one guess what it was about. It would seem that in almost twenty years we have learned about as much as our kids apparently are.

tim

cwbm, I'm sure your answer to all of these problems is privatize, privatize, privatize....

I think it’s a shame that we can not get quality education through our government; when I do have kids, if our education is still the same I will send them to a private school.

What I think is worse than our education system not being up to par, is liberals wanting to destroy quality education, because they can’t get their dirty little fingers in it.

Originally Posted by serandfae

I really, truly hope that wasn't a jab at the South. Because, quite honestly, before such things as outcome-based education, mainstreaming and worrying about self-esteem for its own sake (which were imported from places like California, which used to have good schools) North Carolina had a very good school system.

No, it was a jab at the idea that minorities are ruining education. If I could only pick one state to jab at, it would be this one

L.N., no offence intended, but do you need to post such large images in all the political threads? My horizontal scrollbars getting annoying

Kansas, hah what do they know!

Haha, that picture reminded me of another picture I recently saw. Apparently the Coastguard is ahead of the curve and has revamped their budget in preparation of an incoming Democrat as our President. Check it.

Wow, cbwm, you found a picture of Bush in Texas dodging the draft?

Originally Posted by whym

L.N., no offence intended, but do you need to post such large images in all the political threads? My horizontal scrollbars getting annoying

Sorry, Dan! I don't have software to make the image screen sized, and I don't think you can set a width or height when you paste one in here like you can in WordPress?

Originally Posted by Learning Newbie

Sorry, Dan! I don't have software to make the image screen sized, and I don't think you can set a width or height when you paste one in here like you can in WordPress?

Nah that's true. Find smaller pictures then!

Originally Posted by Lackofheart

WHY DON'T YOU STOP TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO!!!

It was a joke.... You really seem to be in a bad mood all the time

I agree, fault somewhere lies with the education system overall. Your school and ur college make a base of your future and if base will not be strong, your future will always be bleak. Choosing right stream, correct subjects can make or break your career. So education system, your teachers and professors play the second most important role in making your career after you.
Though i also want to say that along with these external factors, its you who is the master of your life. It all depends on individual.
Out of this very education system, scholars have come out in the world with inventions and discoveries no one could have ever imagined of!
Criticizing the system is easy but raising above that and making a difference to your life and of others too, is what is known as life.

Originally Posted by jamestl2

I don't think she has much to worry about, pretty soon, all our financial transactions will be done electronically anyways.

well, educated teens are going to be able to create technology that would improve our ways of living and automate a lot of other activities, which could be a reason for other future teens to be more lazy. I think if this happens, she would have to worry big time, cause when that time comes wherein everything would be automated, there will be less jobs. We would then be creating more population where most of them wouldn't be educated and their hopes of earning a living will be through fast foods like this, but then again things would be automated so what will be the other option?