math taught the old way = better results.

[Toma]

Huh.... I actually had no idea there was a revamp.... looks like back to basics....
https://www.change.org/petitions/bac...of-mathematics

[Sugarphreak]

...

[BrknFngrs]

This doesn't surprise me in the least; I noticed it myself when they started bringing in the "Interactions" line of textbooks instead of the old school textbooks which focused on core math skills.

[spikerS]

dude, the way they teach the basics in math now is fucking retarded. in the beginning of grade 2 I was just starting multiplication and shortly after division.

Our daughter in grade 3 just started multiplication last week.

This new way to teach math is holding kids back big time.

[Xtrema]

CBE won't switch. They keep saying math shouldn't be memorized.

Kids were weak sauce 20 odd year ago. Math in Canada has always been 3 year behind Asian countries, this new Math sounds like push that back another 3 or 4 years.

Most kids even after taking Math 31 has so much trouble in university, I can't imagine how it is now.

[AndyL]

OMG new math makes me crazy...

I swear to god my kids will be copying multiplication tables until they get it...

Its not memorizing - it's the foundation, yes you need some memorizing to learn the basics of ANYTHING.

[dirtsniffer]

In university level calculus it pays to understand the why as much as the what. Still a lot of memorizing. As for kids it's all about practice and repetition.

I don't know how it changed but I have noticed that young people suck at giving me change at stores. Aka if the total is 15.15 and I give them 20.25 they are fucking lost.

[Toma]

It was never that challenging here though. I went to grade 1 in Yugoslavia for 3/4's the year, then we moved here... and I pretty well coasted by with what I knew till about grade 3.

And that was the late 1970's.

If it's worse.... omg!

[Mibz]

Originally posted by spikers
dude, the way they teach the basics in math now is fucking retarded. in the beginning of grade 2 I was just starting multiplication and shortly after division.

Our daughter in grade 3 just started multiplication last week.

This new way to teach math is holding kids back big time.

20 years ago we learned multiplication and division in grade 3. Are you suggesting my mathematical growth was stunted?

I haven't read the article, but if this is all about whether we're teaching multiplication and division in grade 2 or 3 then I really don't understand what the big deal is.

EDIT: Anybody have a link to the OECD report she's talking about? The only one I can find ranks Canada very highly in mathematical competence. Obviously we're behind most Oriental nations, but we're right up there with Switzerland and Japan. What's her actual complaint here?

[lilmira]

There was the feather duster method too.

[AndyL]

Originally posted by Mibz

I haven't read the article, but if this is all about whether we're teaching multiplication and division in grade 2 or 3 then I really don't understand what the big deal is.

no they went unstructured learning...

as in you don't write out your addition/subtraction/multiplication tables... as in you don't learn the old way of long division. They throw the problem at the student and ask them to figure out a way to solve it.

There's no structure to it now - they're offered the problem, the solution and told to come up with a way to do it...

Which really fucks me up - because how are you supposed to prove your answer when you haven't given them a structure to follow to do that?

[Mibz]

Originally posted by AndyL
no they went unstructured learning...

as in you don't write out your addition/subtraction/multiplication tables... as in you don't learn the old way of long division. They throw the problem at the student and ask them to figure out a way to solve it.

There's no structure to it now - they're offered the problem, the solution and told to come up with a way to do it...

Which really fucks me up - because how are you supposed to prove your answer when you haven't given them a structure to follow to do that?

Here I was assuming it was the opposite, where they were teaching one method of coming up with an answer and forcing kids to use it, instead of allowing them to use whatever works best for them.

Has anybody actually proven a connection between this changed curriculum and lower grades? Did they also happen to change standardized tests at the same time? Didn't they recently change report cards to not have grades on them, or some such bullshit?

I dunno. I feel like kids are smarter than people are treating them and they'll figure out math with even the smallest push in the right direction. But I'm not a Dad. Or a teacher. Or even somebody that interacts with children more than twice a month (if I'm lucky).

[Toma]

Originally posted by AndyL


no they went unstructured learning...

as in you don't write out your addition/subtraction/multiplication tables... as in you don't learn the old way of long division. They throw the problem at the student and ask them to figure out a way to solve it.

There's no structure to it now - they're offered the problem, the solution and told to come up with a way to do it...

Which really fucks me up - because how are you supposed to prove your answer when you haven't given them a structure to follow to do that?

Wow..... so the 'structure kills creativity' thing was taken seriously by someone?

Interesting. Was there a vote? Lol.

[AndyL]

No... I'm sure there wasn't a vote...

Try to do your kids math homework with them now

WTF is this shit?

Ok what's 4x4?

...

Ok, let's start writing out a simple math multiplication table... Wait... you can't add without your fingers? Ok... Lets start with simple math addition tables... Wait... did you say 3 comes before 2?

[firebane]

Oh Math.. The one subject that always hated me.

I find it funnier when people talking about "Math 30" or "Math 31" lol I have absolutely NO clue what that even means.

I went to school and it was just .. math or english.

[Toma]

Originally posted by firebane
Oh Math.. The one subject that always hated me.

I find it funnier when people talking about "Math 30" or "Math 31" lol I have absolutely NO clue what that even means.

I went to school and it was just .. math or english.

When I went to high school, each grade had a math level. Math 10, 20, 30 was the regular program. 13, 23, 33 was for jocks lol ;-), and math 31 was an intro to calculus to prep for University.

That was 25 years ago. Lol.

[Power_Of_Rotary]

Originally posted by Toma


When I went to high school, each grade had a math level. Math 10, 20, 30 was the regular program. 13, 23, 33 was for jocks lol ;-), and math 31 was an intro to calculus to prep for University.

That was 25 years ago. Lol.

Thought they still did this... I went thru this in 04

I think those math tests that I had in grade school helped a lot. It was called mad minutes I think where you raced your classmates doing math tables (adding/sub/div/mult). I think its a bit "pressuring" as each student finishes at different times and everyone knew everyone else's time.

I graduated Uni in math/stats essentially. Pretty much the adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing has helped me a fair bit through life. Calculus not once.

basic math FTW. theory can suck it

[BigMass]

math was by far the easiest subject in school precisely because it wasn't subjective and it didn't require memorization. Math is logical and as long as you're able to understand basic principals you can solve problems and equations from a very small set of rules. I was never good at subjects that required pure memorization such as historical dates, names or places.

[Seth1968]

In regards to grades 1 to 12, the only relevant subjects are general reading, writing, and basic math. All else is mindless crap, biased history, and subjects that have nothing to do with real life.

The education system serves to subdue creativity and critical thinking, as well as cause the average student to despise learning.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by lilmira
There was the feather duster method too.

hahaha it worked for me lol