Education

pokerfan

(27,677 posts)

13. Bizarre

Reply to alp227 (Original post)

Sun Jul 29, 2012, 11:28 PM

Jul 2012

Student: "I hate story problems."
Teacher: "Life is a series of story problems."

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Andrew Hacker: Is Algebra Necessary? (PUUUUUUUUKE) [View all] alp227 Jul 2012 OP

except as an elective Algebra is pretty much useless for many students... msongs Jul 2012 #1

False. Try, for instance, grasping the calculation of compound interest on a bank loan for a home.. lastlib Jul 2012 #4

Maybe. But students who don't tackle those subjects may be shutting doors prematurely. pnwmom Jul 2012 #6

I practiced math until I CRK7376 Aug 2012 #57

I know there are people like you because my sister is one of them. pnwmom Aug 2012 #60

Math is part of a broad liberal arts education exboyfil Jul 2012 #7

+1 proud2BlibKansan Jul 2012 #11

That's a crock. Daemonaquila Jul 2012 #8

Algebra won't help them make change. Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #18

plenty of jobs require you to find an unknown quantity. like a number of hospital jobs, for example HiPointDem Jul 2012 #37

I agree 2pooped2pop Aug 2012 #51

As a Nurse.... AnneD Feb 2013 #63

are you kidding? trixie Mar 2013 #65

So who is this brain-fart-from-hell, anyway? Without my training in math.... lastlib Jul 2012 #2

I don't think his argument is that you shouldn't have taken it, or Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #19

I don't write for a living, so why take English? Confusious Jul 2012 #30

You are making it too binary and simplistic. Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #42

?! Confusious Jul 2012 #47

Grunting and bartering 101 Democracyinkind Feb 2013 #62

I most certainly do care about their outcome. lastlib Jul 2012 #44

I don't think that logical, disciplined thinking has to hinder the creative process. pnwmom Aug 2012 #61

The language of science........ suston96 Jul 2012 #3

Figures a "soft science," ( I say that loosely Confusious Jul 2012 #5

Yes. Of course. Hard science is the only true test of intelligence. Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #20

Algebra doesn't qualify as "hard science" Confusious Jul 2012 #23

Your attitude toward the "soft sciences" Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #24

Just chomping at the bit, aren't you Confusious Jul 2012 #25

Since I was organizing my collection Confusious Jul 2012 #26

Nice math library.... xocet Aug 2012 #48

I think Mr. Hacker's Supposition is Completely Off-Base dballance Jul 2012 #9

English vs. Math different argument Genghis_Sean Aug 2012 #53

Interestingly Enough Writing and Comprehension were important at my "technical" University dballance Aug 2012 #54

thats just it trixie Mar 2013 #66

This is a crosspost from the Onion, right? mbperrin Jul 2012 #10

Your last sentence Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #21

I would invite you to room 160 at Odessa High School for any class period after school starts on mbperrin Jul 2012 #36

The issue I'm working on as school starts this fall Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #41

I do it at the end of the first week of class. mbperrin Jul 2012 #43

This English major took up through Calc II. knitter4democracy Jul 2012 #12

Bizarre pokerfan Jul 2012 #13

I taught math for many years. During that time, I never promoted the view struggle4progress Jul 2012 #14

I get the same comments about English. Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #22

No doubt you do get similar idiotic remarks about English. But I'm not about to make struggle4progress Jul 2012 #45

I am not against the broad exposure. I think it is important. Goblinmonger Jul 2012 #46

How about this argument.... xocet Aug 2012 #49

+1. Every kid should know the basics of everything. Math, art, music, science, history, PE, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #39

I find it interesting that math and music go hand in hand trixie Mar 2013 #67

Better ways to change math education RobertAustin Jul 2012 #15

Math has never CRK7376 Aug 2012 #58

More so than memorizing multiplication tables... ehrnst Jul 2012 #16

It drives me crazy that my middle school students come to me with no mental math skills. LWolf Jul 2012 #17

No. Igel Jul 2012 #29

imo going to calculators immediately = fake education. for math-minds who intuitively grasp the HiPointDem Jul 2012 #40

The Beauty of Algebra. mia Jul 2012 #27

We wouldn't want to challenge students! liberal N proud Jul 2012 #28

Ugh... algebra is painfully easy... Lemonwurst Jul 2012 #31

Plus, searching for the unknown can be lots of fun. mia Jul 2012 #34

ugh math hard d_r Jul 2012 #32

my mind does`t compute algerbra madrchsod Jul 2012 #33

See? You DO understand algebra. mbperrin Aug 2012 #56

No. It's not. Igel Jul 2012 #35

"He learned it in application". I had a similar experience. The way i was taught math was very HiPointDem Jul 2012 #38

Necessary? ICDpress Aug 2012 #50

(x² + y²)² = (x² - y²)² + (2xy)² Solve it, or else. DetlefK Aug 2012 #52

my GOOD experience with algebra skippercollector Aug 2012 #55

Lots of good points in all CRK7376 Aug 2012 #59

Seems pretty obvious that political science is certainly a waste of time and energy. mbperrin Feb 2013 #64