Hundreds of N.J. students who can't do simple math are credited with passing calculus, report says

NJ.com ^ | 9/1/10 | Staff

[NathanR]

Do you really believe that statement?

Absolutely.

IIRC Einstein could not balance his checkbook. The skill set for doing calculus is completely different from adding sums. I could easily do calculus, but adding the sums they used to give us before calculators was difficult for me

[nmh]

“My kids attend Catholic school, and no calculators are allowed. My third grader is memorizing his times tables. I noticed when I saw him subtracting two and three-digit numbers he doesn’t mark out the numbers when borrowing. He said he does them in his head.”

The Christian school my daughter left didn't allow calculators till middle school. They did traditional Math and Singapore Math and continue Singapore Math with traditional math through high school.

What you will have to be careful of is “social justice”. Catholic schools are notorious for pushing that which pushes them in the direction of becoming a Demoncrat.

“He has an engineer for a father ;)”

Her Dad has a Ph.D. in physics so I am not concerned about her continuing to excel. I won't go into my background but I have a few degrees behind me as well and will NOT put up with dumbed down curriculums.

[bvw]

Christie could have hung tough and backed Brett Schundler, who I believe was using a crafty ploy to keep NJ out of those bastards clutches. Instead Christie saw a cheap way to slay a political opponent, and also showed just how RINO at heart he is. Willing to keep his state feudal and ignorant.

[elpadre]

She understands.

Let’s see if the NEA and NAACP try to get rid of her.

[nmh]

LOL!!!

[NathanR]

So? I kicked arse in a lot of upper-level math classes, and I still multiply 3 and 3 and get 6, or forget to carry the one. It’s called carelessness brought on by complacency brought on by superior skillfulness.

Oh, wait, we’re talking about the normal people?

LOL LOL Snort LOL. Yep. That was me.

[Julia H.]

I will refer you to the second paragraph in my post, where I very clearly said I do not advocate using calculators as a crutch or an excuse not to learn basic arithmetic, and only once basic skills have been mastered should calculators be used to facilitate more advanced math. I don't see anything wrong with merely teaching kids how to use calculators. That's not the same as saying kids should be allowed to use them on their daily math assignments. Just because we want kids to be able to write by hand and memorize vocabulary doesn't mean we should ban word processors and dictionaries from classrooms.

[elpadre]

he was dyslexic

[DJ MacWoW]

they think the NEED a calculator to do even the simplest of problems, so bad is the dependence.

Sometimes technology is a step back instead of forward.

[Max in Utah]

At one time it was reported that A.E. really had trouble with the simple concepts. His thought process was so far advanced. I remember a newsreel purporting that he needed help with his taxes. Just saying.

"Used bath soap to wash his hair and went without socks because it was simpler and took less time."

"Wouldn't eat unless he was called to the table, wouldn't stop eating until someone took the food away."

I think Einstein just played along with the legend that writers were developing about him. He probably thought it was hilarious.

[bvw]

The technology is always a step-forward. But humans find ways to make any technology stupid, too. Tools are good. Humans are both: good and bad.

[DJ MacWoW]

Humans are both: good and bad.

Human children tend to be lazy. (in school) LOL

[Reeses]

he was dyslexic

Urban legend: albert-einstein-learning-disability-true-or-false

[Article10]

I agree totally with you. I have an aerospace engineering degree and my wife has a physics degree.

Even places like the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter,NH has a hard time retaining science teachers. Hard to compete with public school pay and benefits. Kinda sad.

Home schooling is the only way to go for us.

[Julia H.]

Exactly. A lot of people seem to think the devil invented every instrument that was introduced after they graduated from college. Saying calculators should be banned from schools altogether is as ridiculous as saying kids should never learn how to do math in their heads. It’s not wrong to use modern technology in classrooms: the judgment is to be made in HOW this technology is applied to lessons.

A calculator is a tool, and if it’s introduced to students such, and not used as an excuse to take learning basic math skills less seriously, it can only extend the average person’s math abilities.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Interestingly, my daughter, who graduated from HS in 2004 and has since earned two undergrad degrees, received a survey from her HS in Pennsylvania asking in depth questions about her history with math, such as what classes she took in HS, was she prepared for college, what classes did she take in college and her grades, etc.

There was a section for her comments and she let them have it about the idiotic spiral math program they started for kids younger than her during those years.

[dddac12]

Ha! You need a crutch too!

[B4Ranch]

You betcha. LOL I had much more trouble with my 4” circular slide rule than I did with a regular slip stick for some reason.

[Rummyfan]

Hey they can do mathemetics - i.e. calculus - it’s just arithmetic they have a hard time with.

[Rummyfan]

When i was doing my Calc testing they wouldnt let us use the fancy Calcs that did it all for you... you had to use the simpler ones...

Heck I had to use a slide rule. Thank God for calculators.