Posted on 08/31/2010 4:10:56 AM PDT by mattstat
William Say, Matt. I heard you were teaching this semester. Where?
Matt At a place Russell Kirk would have called "Behemoth U." A good school with a fine reputation.
William Lot of students, eh?
Matt More than you can shake a diploma at.
William What are you teaching?
Matt Statistics, of course, a mid-level Calculus section, and a class that can best be described as Math For Those Who Cannot Do Math.
William What's that?
Matt Everybody has to have a math credit to graduate, and this is one of the courses designed to give that credit. Everybody is supposed to be able to solve algebraic equations before enrolling.
William Can they?
Matt They cannot. First day of class, I gave them this one for fun (all answers were anonymous):
(3x - 7)/4 = x + 4.
William How'd they do?
Matt About 15% figured it out. Most wrong answers were, let us say, curious. But mostly they just didn't attempt it.
William College is about learning, you know. No doubt, they'll refresh their memories as the semester continues. Not everybody can remember high school algebra on command.
Matt I also asked them, "What is one-third of one-half?"
William They must have done better on that one.
Matt Sure. About 20% got it. The wrong answers were confusing. Some said 1/7, a few said, 1/8, 1/4, 1/16. One said "1.3333". But most didn't answer.
(Excerpt) Read more at wmbriggs.com ...
My son wanted to join the military, but I told him go to college first, you can enlist later. Needless to say, he spent the semester playing Beer Pong and was miserable. He joined the Army and is as happy as I’ve ever seen him. Now his younger brother wants to do the same. Told him, get good grades, study for the ASVAB and get in shape.
Interesting that the answer to our current problems is to become more mediocre.
My problem with my son going into the military is the current POTUS.
I wish there was some way to express how difficult math is for some of us. My brain is like a sieve when it comes to math. I had to take remedial math just to limp through algebra, and when I’d finished it, my mind apparently jettisoned all the material as I was walking out the door. I’m great with language, but I am a cripple when it comes to math. I actually took a piece of paper and tried to figure out that algebraic equation you started with, and I honestly don’t know if I got it right or not. It’s embarrassing, but some of us are like that.
You’re in good company. C.S. Lewis would have flunked out of Oxford - but they waived the maths requirement for WWI vets.
I agree and I had the same feelings, that is why I wanted him to use the 4yrs. for college to buy time. However, the difference in him is extraordinary. He is still the same but with purpose. He just got into his unit last week and called and said “this is where I belong, these are my people. I finally feel like I fit in the puzzle.” I can’t argue that.
Not all kids need college but the ones who belong in college seem to be learning thr wrong things.
Why is owning a McDonalds mediocre? I worked for a man, when I was younger, that didn’t even have a high school degree. He is a multi-millionaire and provided about 500 jobs in the community and is well respected. No where near mediocre and didn’t need a degree to prove otherwise.
I am with you, perfect lady. I couldn’t do the 3x-7/4=x+4. I could back in high school, but not now. I have forgotten the rules. I think 1/3 of 1/2 is 1/6 though. Am I right?
Yeah...you’re right. To do the math problem, multiply both sides by 4 (that gets rid of the /4 on the left side...then get the numbers on one side and the x’s on the other.)
There are many different kinds of intelligence but it’s too costly for public schools to customize. Come to think of it, the right brain, left brain scenario (I am a painter) would also come into play. I used to get straight A’s in algebra but couldn’t get geometry. 40 years later I can’t do a lick of either. Don’t use it, you lose it, except for my art. I didn’t draw for about 25 years but can still do that. So, what’s up with that?
This guy sounds like a bit of a snob...sorry. Not that he shouldn’t expect math students in Stats to know how to complete an algebra equation...but when he started asking questions about literature and The French Revolution in a math class...well.
IMO, that’s what’s wrong with a college education. The first two years are spent in General Requirements which unfortunately is where a lot of the “liberal speak” is spewed. Humanities requirements, when you’re a business, math or science major are probably unnecessary...but the student must plod through them to get to his/her major.
My son was a good math student, went on to earn his bachelors and masters...and it has “saved” him in this economy, and he, as a recent graduate, was able to secure a job because of the advanced degree (although the pay right now for jobs is greatly reduced from what is was...but at least it’s a job.) However, a lot of those early general requirements seemed like a waste of time to me.
Better to enlist first and finsh growing up a bit BEFORE going to college.
1-GI Bill still helps pay for college.
2-You take learning more seriously when you’re a bit more mature and recognize the importance of education relative to your career.
3-You’re more apt to take meaningful courses, than take credits just to get by.
‘Why is owning a McDonalds mediocre?”
Sorry, that wasn’t my point. Its not mediocre but so many people seem intent to bring America down and this author seems to be of that attitude.
Not all kids should go to college but thats a decision for the kid and his/her parents. Not for some govt weenie to dictate.
There is nothing wrong with education in general. Although so many of our colleges seem intent to indoctrinate the kids instead of teaching them.
Exactly. Children are TAUGHT to be marxists.
You generally need at least two classes in Calculus (not the high-school pre-calculus version) before you take it.
And I'm speaking as someone who has tried to teach a Statistics and Probability class in high school for those who don't know enough math to take Algebra II/Trigonometry. You can't find a book that focuses on "easier" side of it.
Your post here is what I took from the article. ie. “Behemoth U” a special math class for those who can’t do math so they can collect the degree they purchased at the door. College education in the USA used to be a discriminator for American Business, now it is just High School part II. I have always said, “If everyone is above average...then everyone IS average.” Other countries, especially in Asia, make entry into Universities extremely competitive. If you don’t meet the entry requirements there, go to tech or trade school or ...the world needs ditch diggers too. I am so disgusted with our system that I am placing my own GPA, SAT, ACT standards on my kid.
I was good in math and went to engineering school. It took me most of my adult life to be able to write well enough not to make a fool out of myself. I still can't spell.
The most important thing I learned is that if you can't do something that you need to do, work on it until you get it right or it will sink you in life. I still ask at least one fellow employee and sometimes my spouse/children to proof read my correspondence.
Every boss I have had accepted nothing but correspondence at a professional level. They didn't care how many equations I could solve in my head.
My problem isn’t with what you do to your kids. Its the govt forcing some solution down my throat.
The education system is dysfunctional from K thru PhD. The answer isn’t to force more kids to become ditch diggers.
We need engineers, mathematicians, doctors and so on. We don’t need more history majors, lawyers, or philosophers.
Oh, same here. I can draw up a storm, and I remember a shocking amount of the French I learned 15 years ago. But I cannot progress beyond simple math, and I do mean simple. Like, plus, minus, times, division, fractions, percentages... that’s pretty much it.
You want to see the current crop of college students freak out, give them a math test consisting of nothing but “word problems”. Also, tell them to leave the calculators at home!
If he stays in for 20, he’ll see a numer of POTUSs.
(3x - 7)/4 = x + 4.
OK
Help us out. I keep getting curious answers, too, like the students.
They got to be somewhere. If there ain’t no jobs or wars, then they’ll still be at home when they’re 30.
The ability to write and communicate is a valuable skill. Spelling, well thank God for spell check. My kid tells me you can install grammar check and it will catch your grammatical errors. Why didn’t they have those when I was in school?
On the other hand, when my son was in college many of his profs used turnitin.com. The profs have students submit their written work to the site, and it will pick up on any plagerism in your writing (at least from online sources.) So, in that way, it’s tougher...of course when I was in school, the teacher would check for plagerism by opening the World Book Encyclopedia, LOL.
“If he stays in for 20, he’ll see a numer of POTUSs.”
Sure, and its an individual decision.
someone - please solve the dang problem for us math illiterates!
(sorry my HS algebra 2 teacher was a drunk, so I dropped it)
Absolutely. Hopefully the future POTUSs won’t be as bad as the current one.
3x-7 = (x+4)4
3x-7 = 4x + 16
3x = 4x + 23
3x-23 = 4x
-23 = 4x-3x
-23 = x Plug it into the formula...it's correct.
“I sent my son to college when I should have bought him a McDonald’s.”
That could be the plot of a very funny movie. Dad buys son a Mickey-D’s franchise instead of sending him to Podunk U.
R-rated even better.
God bless you ma’am. Your younger son will profit greatly from your wisdom.
My life (which turned out pretty darn good) would have turned out better if I’d followed such a path.
x = -23
(3x - 7)/4 = x + 4
3x -7 = 4x + 16
3 - 7/x = 4 + 16/x
- 7/x = 1 + 16/x
-7 = 1x + 16
0 = 1x + 23
-23 = 1x
x = -23
(3 x -23 - 7)/4 = -19 (that’s -69, -7 equals -76, divided by 4 equals -19)
-23 + 4 = -19
I don't think you want to do this.
The solution shown in post #32 is correct.
Your solution results in a correct answer, but might not have if x=0.
Thanks,
I got the -23, but could not make it work back into the formula, so I thought I must be wrong.
I forgot to make 3x = -69, I was using +69. My bad!
Well Hells bells!
I haven’t done an algebraic solution in 40 years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.