"Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
news:lhl1m218bcn6gimjen1c6hsqjcq5ioknef@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:06:34 -0500, "Cathy F." <clfr@adelphiadot.net>
> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>"Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
>>news:bph1m218ar8s5ahodnj6bamam2rv8brv2m@4ax.com...[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> Last week I purchased a burger and fries at McDonalds for $3.58.
>>>
>>> The counter girl took my $4.00 and 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 when I 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:[/color]
>>
>>Math got weird - re: the "New Math" of the late 60's - early 70's. Thank
>>goodness, the weirder parts were later ditched, the saner parts retained,
>>&
>>we were back to teaching normal ol' math. Except on a higher level, since
>>the push for higher standards (which can be great, if common sense is
>>used)
>>in the last ten years or so.
>>
>>Too high, sometimes. For a few years I was required to teach acute,
>>obtuse,
>>& right angles to 3rd graders in the geometry unit. Although can be
>>interesting/fun, *why*? They (NYS Ed. Dept.) finally dropped that last
>>year. I was also required to teach decimals to the hundredths place.
>>Why,
>>except for when used in money? Money, makes sense. Otherwise... ("Mom,
>>I
>>ate .87 of my dinner, so can I please have dessert?" Yeah, right - the
>>avg.
>>8 - 9 year old really uses decimals to the hundredths place.) They
>>finally
>>dropped that from the 3rd gr. curriculum last year, too - phew. I want
>>them
>>to have the real basics under their belts first, in gr. K- 3. Otherwise
>>it's as if the foundations under a building were never finished, but the
>>rest of the building went up anyway... Not a good plan. The basics
>>sometimes get squished out at the bottom lately.
>>
>>Although your joke is funny in its own way (education has plenty of insane
>>moments - they way the pendulum swings, it drives me nuts), methinks you
>>don't know the whole story...
>>
>>Cathy
>>
>>[/color]
>
> I have never said I knew everything. What I know is our education
> system is horrible.[/color]
So... let's base one's opinion on what tiny fragment one knows - or thinks
one knows?
[color=blue]
>
> There are a number of fixes.
>
> 1. Get rid of the NEA[/color]
AFT & state unions? If you think I'm going to agree to to no unions, you're
nuts.
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> 2. Get rid of the National Education junk in Washington.[/color]
NCLB? Good intentions, screwed up.
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> 3. Introduce competition into the game (Vouchers is a good start).[/color]
Nope.
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> 4. Bring education back to the local areas.[/color]
?? No cohesion in curriculum from district-to-district? The state
curriculum has its problems, but... fragment everything down to local
levels? - not a good idea...
Cathy
