libs Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Yesss arithmatic...times table-no calculator-no ask jeeves. Simple 96 x 100. Easy peasy-base. If they have no basic understanding, computers, whatever thier guise, are a hopeless way to learn maths. 343 x9? Do it my way and the answer will be almost instant. 10 x =3430 -43 obviously, take 50 add 7. Pure arithmatic. Teach them that. How many A grade students could I ask 56 x9 and expect an accurate answer? Ver few cos they are not taught 56x10 = 560 -56... I was, and I'm 17 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Mmm...how many have replied to this post who find maths mumbo-jumbo usefull in their working lives? 4, 7? I rest my case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Mmm...how many have replied to this post who find maths mumbo-jumbo usefull in their working lives? 4, 7? I rest my case! ................that's cause all the proffesional mathamaticians are on the ferrari and aston martin forums discussing where they're buying they're next villa.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Here we go! I'm a teacher and I think that what has been said is really quite sad. When did it become the job of the school / teacher to teach life skills to kids? When did we forget the role of the parent? It is a sad reflection of modern parenting when they think that things like; "Why not teach them how much a car costs to run. How much it takes to rent somewhere of your own, how to make some cash, how to cook a meal (or an egg), how to survive when it all goes tits up, how to grow your own, how to find a job, how to make the best of you and what have to offer. How to learn to believe in yourself and be confident you have skills." needs be taught by teachers. GET OFF YOU A*S AND TAKE SOME RESPONSABILITY FOR THE KIDS THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT INTO THE WORLD. No wonder our society is in such a poor state when all we can do is say the system is useless, but I don't want to take responsibility, I want to pass it on to someone else. Sorry if I have offended anyone but I really think that education starts at home NOT at school. I understand that what I am teaching my pupils, most of them will never use, but I am teaching them to be able to learn, and if they can't learn new things that they find difficult then how do they expect to get through life? So, teach your kids the basics; teach them that they need to learn how to learn; and don't hold them back with your prejudice. YOU have no idea what they may find useful in THEIR future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC45 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I had to price insurance products and needed to calculate a lot of statistical data. Honestly mate, maths is the key to everything. I'm a musician, music is maths Could not agree more. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 And who replied to this post...the minority. Mmm...don't worry we will fix everything else for you. With our hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 But hands are no good without a brain to control them.......Ideal would be learn to use both......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 What do you mean by the minority? And what makes you think that I can't fix things with my hands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr lee Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I hated maths at school with a passion. We had a teacher who once said if we didn't want to do homework then get our parents to write a letter saying we don't want any. Guess what smartass here did that evening....Yup...forged a letter from my folks to the teacher. 3 weeks I got away with it acting all smug. Then he dropped the bombshell....Lee...here's the last 3 weeks homework. Have it done and in by monday morning and your forged letter will be forgotten. My parents knew, the school knew only I thought I had got away with it. Anyway, grafted and got it done whilst mumbling the words 'I'll never need this out of school etc etc etc'. Now I use maths for absolutely every single quotation I do. Percentages (which I really hated), area, volume etc. Almost all I got taught gets used. I'm still not a fan of maths but I am glad I can do it relatively easy without the use of a calculator or having to ask others. We always help both our kids with any homework they have to make sure they understand it. We never give them the answer as such, just ensure they are shown a way that they can grasp. Fortunately both of ours are very bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I hated maths at school with a passion. We had a teacher who once said if we didn't want to do homework then get our parents to write a letter saying we don't want any. Guess what smartass here did that evening....Yup...forged a letter from my folks to the teacher. 3 weeks I got away with it acting all smug. Then he dropped the bombshell....Lee...here's the last 3 weeks homework. Have it done and in by monday morning and your forged letter will be forgotten. My parents knew, the school knew only I thought I had got away with it. Anyway, grafted and got it done whilst mumbling the words 'I'll never need this out of school etc etc etc'. Now I use maths for absolutely every single quotation I do. Percentages (which I really hated), area, volume etc. Almost all I got taught gets used. I'm still not a fan of maths but I am glad I can do it relatively easy without the use of a calculator or having to ask others. We always help both our kids with any homework they have to make sure they understand it. We never give them the answer as such, just ensure they are shown a way that they can grasp. Fortunately both of ours are very bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy Posted February 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Lucky duck. Our kids are not bright. There are reasons why but not imp. Thanks for your input and kind words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevethevanman Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) There is an absolute need for maths, a massive amount of maths is used in compound interest for banks ect....also alot of work is done surrounding prime numbers as they are what banks use to protect internet banking and things like that. We are talking primes larger than 1,000 digits long, also there is alot of maths in the angle of refraction and reflection...people in my sons class ask alot of the time..."Sir, when will we use this?"..........and the simple answer is never...however you will use it without knowing it, If mathematics and formula was not used, there would be no set way to create logical solutions to ilogical things such as light for instance. They teach it so we can all get on with day to day life, not everyone needs to know how to solve advanced problems, but there is a need to add up ect..as we are surrounded by maths and numbers everywhere. If there was no maths theory and people that knew it, we may as well all be cave men Edited February 18, 2010 by stevethevanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) Teachers (and I am one) don't teach anything any more, we train students to pass exams. If your not happy about that speak to your MP. From the moment students start school, the schools only have 1 aim, even my sons primary school is in the same boat. As schools, if we don't do this, we get closed down. Parents (including myself) are also to blame because they want their kids to be the best at school or at the worst very successful, even if a child does not have the ability, the school is expected to make them a success. Edited February 18, 2010 by markm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 PARENT YOU big words fella. My kids are not academic. However, their skill will be in thier hands. Both are keen to learn dry stone walling. Both have a touch drawing. We live at the top of the Cotswolds...work will be all around them. I think I have been gentle with my reply...**** Not every one is an academic and I think this Government's push to get everyone into University has meant that new courses have been developed in Micky Mouse colleges/universities which are absolutely useless. It has devalued a degree and meant that parents/students now have to fund the course out of their own pocket because there isn't enough money to go round. More technical or vocational colleges should be set up to teach people skills to get jobs, this experience would be far more valuable to future employers than studying 'media or film studies' for 3 years and then being unable to get a job. However, no matter if people are not academic they still need to know maths and have the ability to learn new things. How can they work out if the quotation they give a cutomer will make them a profit, how will they know if they've been given the right change, how will they be able to work out the volume of paint needed to paint a room, the list goes on. The key is to practice mental arithmetic while they're growing up so they develop the skills while they're young, you don't always have a calculator to hand. Schools are there to help kids learn new things and help them to develop an interest in areas they might not have access to but it's not there to absolve parents of their responsibilities to teach their kids all the other skills needed to get by in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 One of our kids 14 just came to me with a maths problem concerning powers and roots. Ok I knew the answer, what is 2 to the power of two, what does 3 with a little three above mean......What is the point of modern teaching? I do not think it is in tune. Maybe it is for some. If that is modern teaching then I must be young, I was being taught this 30+ years ago. Recently it was used at work to find out which size pizzas were better value Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPT1 Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Christy, I do understand where you are coming from, but let me say one thing. If you aim at the moon you might land on top of the haystack. If you aim at the top of the haystack you'll probably land in the manure heap at the bottom. Or more relevant. If you aspire to build drystone walls you may end up just digging the footing. I know this is more than one thing, but. My daghter was assessed as being in Special Educational Need. She goes to extra maths Saturdays at 1pm until 3pm. On this half term she went in Monday for four hours Tuesday the same, this was for science. She does this because she wants to do better, we allow her to go we don't make her. We are proud of her efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Not having any ankle biters I can't comment on bringing them up but I should have thought schools should include the times table - I was at a well known shooting ground -not one close to me - and ordered two teas at 50p each - lad (14 or 15) gave them to us - got calculator out and said £1 -- I looked at my mate - looked at lad and said "are you sure" tap tap tap "Yes" - he never even twigged I was taking the michael Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambu13 Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Im 21 and i did this stuff at school, im currently at uni and i use maths everyday and the course im doing in fairly un mathematical. plumbers, electricians, builders and most other professions use this stuff so much you wouldn't belive. my mum is a teacher and she is fed up of having to spend the whole time assessing kids rather than teaching them. Im also a very hands on person and did well in art and design tech at school as well as maths and chemistry. Because my dad taught me all that stuff at home, along with looking after bikes and cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 The world needs ditch diggers as well as those who can add up. Don't complain when the ditch digger can't afford to live because he can't buy food and is out priced by weekenders who want to live there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Maths is needed in virtually every walk of life. Even working in Macdonalds you need to be able to count. A simple job such as painting a room you would need to know the area of the walls so you know how much paint to buy. I use maths everyday while working and yes the software I use can deal with it all but it takes longer to find the calculator icon than do it in your head. Complicated stuff then yes use a calculator but any basic arithmetic should be done in your head. As Chard said earlier how do you know that calculator is right? How do you know there is 25 cartridges in a standard box? If cartridges are £139.00 a thousand how much are they for 500? 250? 25? I am sure even a ditch digger needs to know if his pay packet is correct, or how many pints of Stella he can have on the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 I am sure even a ditch digger needs to know how many pints of Stella he can have on the way home. Essex ditch diggers prefer a Creme de Menthe cocktail with a cherry and an umbrella in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Essex ditch diggers prefer a Creme de Menthe cocktail with a cherry and an umbrella in it That is only because they earn so much cash, unlike their poor cousins in the north Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8landy Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 PARENT YOU big words fella. My kids are not academic. However, their skill will be in thier hands. Both are keen to learn dry stone walling. Both have a touch drawing. We live at the top of the Cotswolds...work will be all around them. I think I have been gentle with my reply...**** My question was as a Parent what are you teaching them? "teaching" is not just academic, which you automatically jumped down my neck on! I applaud you that you are TEACHING them a true skill. I am 100% behind modern apprentices and that 90+% of today’s Uni degrees are a waste of time. But I am sure even in dry stone walling maths is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambu13 Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 And if someone turned up for an apprenticeship and couldnt work out something using pretty basic maths it wouldnt go down too well. I just hope my uni course in in the 10% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatcatsplat Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Calculators are great - 58008 is the bestest number in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.