60 years of math education

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Old joke, but updated:

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $ 2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

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?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s

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.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

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, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.. )

6. Teaching Math In 2009

Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?
 
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $ 2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.

No child left behind!

I feel for her, but dang...
 
It seems to me that the schools now are being forced to do two things. First, they almost have to teach calculus at the high school level for the upper 1/4 of students. At the same time, parents complain if their kids aren't in the highest level classes, or at least aren't mainstreamed. And this results in the lowest 1/4 of students being completely ignored, or being in classes that are way over their heads.

Nothing is more annoying than this, I agree. The smartest kids coming out of high school know calculus at a level I didn't until my second year of college. The dumbest are even dumber than I remember.
 
Not only do they not understand the concept of additional payment for additional change, they don't understand the concept of "substitute" either.

Me - I would like to substitute Item B for Item A

CCP (Clueless Counter-Person) - But it already comes with Item A.

Me - Yes. That's why I want to substitute..
 
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Old joke, but updated:

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $ 2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help.


Sad but true, I've had this happen on more than one occasion. I remember at one McDonald's, I gave the kid the change to round the transaction to an even 50-cents back, and he looked at me kind of funny. I told him "It'll work out, trust me" and to his credit, he at least was able to complete the transaction without getting a manager involved....
LOL.gif
 
I went into one of these places, my order rang up to $4.75. I gave her a $5. For whatever reason the register didn't say what my change was, so the cashier HAD TO GET THE MANAGER TO TELL HER MY CHANGE WAS A QUARTER. Uneffingbelieveable!

John
 
With all the technology available, I'm surprised I've never seen a touchscreen ordering kiosk at a McDonalds.

I mean, I can handle a soda machine and this is just an extension of that.

Of course, we'd have people complain that it was impersonal but I wouldn't care.
 
Those big fast food chains do everything for a reason. The reason they still have actual people greeting you is that that's part of the atmosphere they want to create.

Besides, be honest: if someone working there every day still can't count change, how do you expect the average McDonald's customer to work a touch screen?
wink.gif
 
I visited a Sheetz "super station" or whatever they call it in PA over the Holidays and they had a made to order deli with a touchscreen picture menu, very intuitive and my "made to order" sandwich (commonly known as an MTOgie) came just as I requested.

Bottom line, I would LOVE for Mcdonalds and every other fast food chain (make that food chain period) to get rid of the clueless/obnoxious/lazy waitstaff and just have touch screens. If you can't work the screen you just don't eat, I love natural selection...
 
Originally Posted By: UncleRunkle
I visited a Sheetz "super station" or whatever they call it in PA over the Holidays and they had a made to order deli with a touchscreen picture menu, very intuitive and my "made to order" sandwich (commonly known as an MTOgie) came just as I requested.

Bottom line, I would LOVE for Mcdonalds and every other fast food chain (make that food chain period) to get rid of the clueless/obnoxious/lazy waitstaff and just have touch screens. If you can't work the screen you just don't eat, I love natural selection...

yes, the Sheetz and Wawa stores up here have touch screens, I love it. you order what you want, get what you want, what a concept.
it's a natuaral progression; in fast food joints, they got rid of the numbers and gave them pictures. some joints spit out the change automatically. and since so many people use debit cards, the concept of 'change' has been replaced with 'cash back', which is always in easy to count round numbers.
public schools are a joke, which is why my kids are home schooled. they actually get an education instead of being made part of the athletic obsessed borg that is most US schools these days.
 
Stopped at Sonic yesterday picking up the kids from school to get some Cherry Lime Ade drinks. I couldn't get through my order because the girl kept interrupting me.

I told the kids I'd like to just text my order and get a response on my phone. Or use the web based interface on my phone to order from their website, pay and let them know what stall I'm parked in, etc.

At least you can pay with a CC at the stall, so there is no change difficulty.

I find using a credit or debit card avoids all that hassle of change.
 
Looks like I should have posted in the general forum. I was actually expecting a few of you to ROTF, LYAO over that 2009 update on teaching math. Oh well.
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Here's my version of Math 2009:

Johnny invests $100 million into a business that he has no f'ing clue about and loses everything. How much in bailout funds can he expect from the government if he cries to the authorities for 100 minutes?
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue

public schools are a joke, which is why my kids are home schooled. they actually get an education instead of being made part of the athletic obsessed borg that is most US schools these days.


Move to a better school district. We have a few here that are top 10 of the nation and the bottom 10 of the nation. One guy I know skipped the first year of college just by following the regular procedure and took all the AP classes.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Here's my version of Math 2009:

Johnny invests $100 million into a business that he has no f'ing clue about and loses everything. How much in bailout funds can he expect from the government if he cries to the authorities for 100 minutes?


My version:

Johnny invests $100 million and hired 600 workers, and when he realized that the government would bail out these 600 workers if he shut down his business for a cost of $50 million, how much should Johnny invest with his own money and threaten to shut down the business for the lack of funding?
 
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