Should I be worried about the educational system?

[saphalline]

The youngest one in my immediate family is my sister. She's in second grade now (and one of the top kids in her class! she gets that from me :p) so, obviously, she was in first grade last year.

Anyway, my parents went to her conference last year to meet with the teacher, and the math ciriculum came up. At the time, my sister wasn't doing that great so my parents had a few concerns with her not exactly knowing what subtraction was. The teacher's response - "Oh we don't do subtraction, we do take-away!" :eek:

Now I understand this mentally-diluted woman is almost fresh out of college, new to teaching, and only doing first grade at that, but still I can't help but wonder just how bad the educational system is. And since I live in Minnesota (which is among the top 5 or 10 states in the country for education) just how the heck are the lowest 5 or 10 states doing? Am I wrong in thinking this?

[Whyzman]

I suspect subtraction carries some type of negative connotation. We certainly don't want to invite numbers to feel as if they are less than human. Therefore, we certainly don't want to put students in the position of feeling as though they have diminished another living thing.

"Take away" implies that you can "give back!" Whereas, subtraction implies a sense of permanency.

We homeschool, and we subtract! ;)

[UPENDRA UPADHYAY]

Education system is became exam oriented at all over the world.The basic knowledge of subject is less important.In every field of life only grades become mor important than knowledge and due to this, quality of work have to suffer.All teachers are came from this envierment so they follows it, this is a chain reaction.Our children get grades from the school and we have to provide them real knowldge.

[Ghost_Hacker]

Hmmmmmm...I think take-away is the term used in the lower grades. (1-about 3)



I remember such tasking questions as " if you have 4 books and you take away 3, how many are left?"


Don't recall any teacher saying "if you have 4 books and subtract 3 , how many are left?"


That term was left for those high IQ 3rd graders :)

Who had to deal with numbers and not items to learn math.

[Whyzman]

Yes Ghost, I think you are correct...take away is used in the earlier grades!

I suspect that I've become hypersensitive to anything dealing with being Politically Correct.......I've about had it with worrying about stepping on ants "cause they have feelings too!"

If Johnny's answer of 4 to the question of, "How much is 5 take away 3?" is not dealt with, but rather PC'd into "Good answer Johnny!", not wanting to offend...we're in for some interesting future accountants! :( :D

[jabarnutcase]

Sure hope the teacher never asks how much is 5 take away 6....Poor kids will be wondering how the heck you take something away that was never there to begin with! :confused:

Could have some very negative results. :eek: :D

[saphalline]

Even tho the term "take away" is used for the younger kids, that still doesn't change the fact that "take away" means the same as "subtraction" (at least in math class). And when you're in a conference with the teacher (for those of you who don't homeschool ;)) and no kids, just adults, wouldn't you figure the teacher would know they are the same? Reports from my parents suggest that she really didn't think they were...

[jabarnutcase]

Sad....
I suppose we could be thankful they still at least "attempt" to teach math at all.
I'm suprised they don't just hand out cheap calculators and explain where the + and - keys are.

"Don't worry kids...No need to know. This little machine will do it all for you!" :rolleyes:

saphalline - Wow! you sure are up early...(Late?)
I'm off to work. :( Take care! ;)

[sleddog]

I have a daughter in grade 3, and she knows that 'subtract' is the same as 'take away'. But 'take away' is considered more user-friendly by the kids.

I'm fine with it, as long as her class doesn't go on an exchange trip to England. They could end up with a lot of fish and chips orders :D

[Whyzman]

I know I mentioned my pet peeve in another post somewhere.....

Kids today in jobs where they have to handle money, as in counting and then giving you back change, are really scary. Yep, they old addition and subtraction!

Way back when....yeah, yeah....we didn't have registers that you punched in the amount tendered and the machine coughed up the amount to return. You know, you began counting change from the point of the total sale amount until you reached the amount given by the customer.

And then, that's the way the change was returned to the customer...the old, "And five makes $20.00!"

Today, the kids look at the screen and then hand you back a wad of money. Ok, it really gets my dander up when I hand them a hundred dollar bill "take away $9.95," and I get handed a pack of money. I just cringe! Since they don't bother to count my change...are they shorting me, or the store...or were they accurate?

If I was a quick change artist I'd be having a field day...palm a twenty and tell them I was shorted! Odds are against them, as they didn't double check through recounting in my presence.

Cashless society....?? Have you seen the commerial where the guy walks into the store wearing a floor lengh coat and appears to be attempting to walk out of the store with his selections? The computer voice thanks him for his purchases as he passes through the scanner at the exit.

Yep Jabar, just the old (+) and (-) all handled electronically. Goodbye side jobs and moonlighting...

Sounds a bit like Revelations where no one will be able to buy or sell without the mark....Well, we could probably still barter cows and chickens...but those transactions still need to be taxed...Hmmmmmmm :rolleyes:

[jabarnutcase]

HeHe...Funny about your pet peeve WYZMN. I always observe the same thing at a fast food place. (Or I suppose just about anywhere now.)

I find it especially amusing when it is a very simple transaction...Say you purchase something for 5.55 and hand them a ten. Ever notice how many times they glance up at the monitor just to be sure , before they actually hand you the 4.45? :p

Very scary indeed. :eek:

It's always a rare pleasure when someone counts your change back just like the "good ol' days". I'm especially proud of the people that do it without even looking at the register!
In that case, I'm usually a bit more enthusiastic with my "thanks". :D

[Budfred]

What I really find interesting (read pathetic) is when the bill is $6.52 and I hand them $10.02 and they try to hand me back the $1.02 with the explanation that the $10.00 is enough.

Budfred

[Whyzman]

I'm with you there Jabar! Everytime someone counts my change back I thank them for doing so....usually it's the folks with a tinge of gray....

Yep Budfred, I get a kick out of watching their faces...it's like total bewilderment. And, when they see you reaching in your pocket for change, it's like panic city. :confused:

[saphalline]

Not to say you aren't all correct in the whole counting the change back thing, but I've cashiered at a grocery store, and let me tell you - when it's busy (like lines into the isles busy) you don't have the time! If you count back, most people will get severely impatient, and the customers behind them will get severely impatient. Maybe it's just grocery stores (I never found anyone that liked to do grocery shopping) but I've found counting the change back to be inappropriate in that setting. Very few people even mentioned it (like once every two months).

I may be off-target here, but just trying to bring the other side of the story into the discussion.

[Whyzman]

Saphalline,

I would certainly agree that things tense up when stores understaff rather than meet demands. I've been standing in line at a recently financially troubled retailer (name starts with a K) and watched as mangers on duty busied themselves with "paperwork" rather than jumping on a register until things cooled down.

However, I would have to say that counting change can be down extremely quickly by "seasoned" counters... The problem is that retailers aren't requiring personnel to count change, so they are denying the the cashiers the practice to gain the speed!

I suppose I irritate folks then, when after I'm handed back a pack of money, as I hold up the line and calmly tell the cashier that I'm going to count the change in front of them to make sure neither of us is getting short-changed! ;)

[Budfred]

OOOPSS!!

Self-quote:"What I really find interesting (read pathetic) is when the bill is $6.52 and I hand them $10.02 and they try to hand me back the $1.02 with the explanation that the $10.00 is enough."

I just noticed that I said I hand them $10.02 and I meant to say $11.02. I imagine you all got what I meant, but it bugged me that it looked like my math was bad.:eek: :D

Budfred

[Whyzman]

Yeah, I knew....:cool: hehe