Sheesh I hated math

Teaching Math In 1955:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1965:

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?

Teaching Math In 1975:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.

His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Math In 1985:

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.

Teaching Math In 1995:

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.)

Teaching Math In 2005:

There are no right answers.

there will be provisions for mathematical markup. This was one of the main reasons I chose this software instead of standard blog software. But first I need to debug the perl script that it will use… funny, I keep putting that off.

There are formatting instructions in the help sidebar — I guess I’ll have to make that easier to find.

Thanks for the feedback!

Instructions for editing the wiki would be helpful: markup, examples, etc. Also, is there any special provision for simple algebraic formulas, diagrams, etc.? I suspect that I am running ahead here.

Your site is so interesting it makes me wish I had a kid in school.

My oldenst niece has always had such problems with math. but I can not imagine my brother going to a website like this. In fact I could have used it myself a few decades ago.

But I am sure there will be many people who do.

good luck.

thanks for the sendoff!

Chuck:

I will tell Ben that you like his fish, he will be very happy.

Silicon Valley Jim:

By coincidence, the most recent post I put up on the site is on mastery learning — part of a series of posts about the few high-quality research findings in the area of math education. I hope you’ll have a look and help kick off a discussion!

Susan:

I am thrilled to read your post and I hope you’ll come hang out with us and help us build a community!!!

Carolyn

Thank you so much for your site. I’ve just spent the last half hour mesmorized by it. I’m in the land of Trailblazers out here near Chicago. You know something is up with a curriculum when no teacher can really explain how it works. Everyday Math is big in several schools around here, also. Parents had to go to special “classes” to learn how to teach their children in that special Everyday Math way. If that doesn’t scream “red flag” I don’t what does.

The whole concept of Kumon is really quite funny if you think about it. To do math well you actually have to PRACTICE it. Who’da thunk it? Not to mention the fact that Kumon is filling some void that the schools are actually creating. So you get to pay again for your little precious to actually learn his math facts because he’s too busy with all that fun grade school critical thinking and data collecting.

I’ll be sending your site to everyone I know who has kids in school. Thanks again!

It might depend on what you mean by challenge. Kumon, for example, has built a pretty good business here in Silicon Valley, and, for all I know, elsewhere, by teaching students math, and doing it well. They share your belief in mastery learning, and are quite explicit about it; a student does not move on to the next subject until he has mastered the current one. Hooked on Phonics sold, and I think still sells, lots of its product in the fact of objections from the MSE (should that be MSEE, or does that sound too much like an advanced degree in electrical engineering?) that phonics doesn’t work. Parents who see their children advancing two grade levels in test scores in a matter or monghts don’t buy that.

So I think you can, if you wish, probably build a pretty good business. Whether you can change our public schools for the better is something about which I am considerably less sanguine.

Before I forge: Good luck.