Algebra: It hurts my feelings

[ironchop]

So apparently, the American Education System isnt churning out enough turnstile diplomas.

http://news.yahoo.com/algebra-unnece...170616735.html

Someone has decided that the reason so many kids quit highschool or college is because Algebra. Big old meanass algebra is always there trying to thwart the best efforts of people who deserve a degree whether they earn it or not. After all, who needs algebra? Especially in today's society where even ignorance is rewarded because its almost illegal to hurt someone's feelings and depressed people don't make good consumers and laborers.

The solution they came up with?

Down with Algebra, of course.

Without pesky algebra, all the little Eloi can be "edukashunated" and still feel good about themselves.

Only in Crazy World does a nation throw out its own educational standards, successfully completed by tens of millions of students so far, in the interest of making people feel better about being less educated or less inclined to apply themselves or even try.

Sent from my Z998 using Tapatalk

[Scootertrash]

Swirling in the bottom of the bowl, we are

[loganm]

College algebra beat my ass in HS. I managed to make it all the way to factoring without paying much attention or asking any questions. Then it was just kinda "meh, idc". High school doesn't matter. Greatness doesn't stem from common core algebra, I'll tell you that.

I think if I would've been taking anti-depressants then I would've actually been able to accomplish something, maybe I wouldn'tve hated HS so much. Algebra is about the easiest thing in high school, can't understand why people have trouble with the basics.

[Scootertrash]

can't understand why people have trouble with the basics.

*snort*

[ironchop]

Most people dont need Shakespeare or any other English Literature either.

Most people don't speak English properly anymore.

Most people don't bother learning to spell things correctly.

Most people don't use correct grammar anymore...or punctuation.

Most people never use chemistry, biology, astronomy, geology, or "earth sciences" these days

Most people don't know history older than three years ago and even that is being rewritten by social engineers.

Maybe we should throw out everything but reading... because you need to read to obey written commands and signs and you need to be able to text and post your virtue signalling on Tweeter. You can't get a good guy patch until you learn to signal your social virtues.



Sent from my Z998 using Tapatalk

[yaegerb]

Interestingly enough I used algebra today to create a formula in excel to quickly calculate UCCR so all I have to modify are my inputs, volume/bore/stroke. I also use it at work. Calculus or stats, not so much...Math makes the world go around.

[ironchop]

We use Trig once a week or so.

This is strange considering my shop sometimes gets its trained machinists from trade schools. Trade school machine technology students are expected to learn algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry. If a trade school kid can understand higher math than a college bachelor's graduate is expected to, then we have officially gone collectively insane.

Sent from my Z998 using Tapatalk

[tripledog]

And all this time I thought algebra was a mermaid's undergarment that lifts and separates...

[Chopsaw]

We use Trig once a week or so.

This is strange considering my shop sometimes gets its trained machinists from trade schools. Trade school machine technology students are expected to learn algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry. If a trade school kid can understand higher math than a college bachelor's graduate is expected to, then we have officially gone collectively insane.

Sent from my Z998 using Tapatalk

Just because someone went to college does not mean you are smart . I don't think you meant to trash trade school students , and I am not trying to pick a fight with anyone . I struggled with basic math in HS . Graduated from trade school in HVAC . Went on to be a mechanic , then a Carpenter for the last 30 years . Build some of the biggest buildings in ST. Louis . Turns out I was using math everyday and was good at it , because it was INTERESTING . I have always been able to figure out mechanics and build things . Thats what I am good at . Sitting in a class room with a teacher that was boring taught me nothing .

That being said , my daughter is a teacher . I tell her to keep it interesting , and not all students are the same .
My son is a chemistry major . Blows my mind , how smart he is with that stuff . The things he knows that I cant even understand . When it comes to his car ,,, he can gas it up , and thats as far as it goes .
I understand the original post of the " blame " on something that is not the reason . Just saying we are all different , and it takes us all to make a world .

[Scootertrash]

I'm just here to keep abreast of this topic.

[ironchop]

Just because someone went to college does not mean you are smart . I don't think you meant to trash trade school students , and I am not trying to pick a fight with anyone . I struggled with basic math in HS . Graduated from trade school in HVAC . Went on to be a mechanic , then a Carpenter for the last 30 years . Build some of the biggest buildings in ST. Louis . Turns out I was using math everyday and was good at it , because it was INTERESTING . I have always been able to figure out mechanics and build things . Thats what I am good at . Sitting in a class room with a teacher that was boring taught me nothing .

That being said , my daughter is a teacher . I tell her to keep it interesting , and not all students are the same .
My son is a chemistry major . Blows my mind , how smart he is with that stuff . The things he knows that I cant even understand . When it comes to his car ,,, he can gas it up , and thats as far as it goes .
I understand the original post of the " blame " on something that is not the reason . Just saying we are all different , and it takes us all to make a world .

Where did you get that I was trashing trade schools?

Not true at all. I subscribe to the Mike Rowe ideology.

Trade schools here offer Associates degrees. Colleges usually offer Associate degrees but most of them are geared toward Bachelor, Masters, and Doctorates. Since trade schools don't offer higher degrees, many people consider them a sort of junior college. Right or wrong, that's the general consensus and whether I disagree with that or not is moot.

Now having said that, I again contend that if a student seeking an Associates degree has a better grasp of higher math than a kid seeking a Bachelor's degree AND the kid getting a bachelor's isn't even required to be as proficient in math as the student seeking a lesser degree, then these people have things backwards.

In other words, maybe Machining Technology needs to be a 4yr Bachelor's program instead of two.

This has nothing to do with how smart you are. I know lots of ignorant College graduates. Whether or not you are any good at math doesn't mean you're stupid either. Any number of factors play into this like terrible teachers, problems at home, and the pesky fact
that not all people can learn at the same speed or level at the same time.

The article is written from the point of view that it ASSUMES a difference in learning and the inherent difficulty of algebra means that algebra is unfair.

In other words, the first time somebody had trouble understanding algebra, algebra is unfair anyway so we won't bother with it. Just throw out the requirement because some students on the class are having difficulty. Equality.

Once you start removing higher education requirements from higher education, then it isn't higher education at all and its pointless and should be eliminated. Waste of money.

I'll put any of my Trade school kids, especially my own son(who is in trade school for machining), against most all these local college kids ANY DAY.

I guess if its good enough for my own son, then maybe its good enough for others. No?

Sent from my Z998 using Tapatalk

[El Camexican]

Canada (Manitoba anyway) dumbed down the road to a high school diploma 30 years ago. Broke down the system as follows:
105's - Gifted (little Einstein's only)
100's - University entrance
101's - Option to go to university after 2 years in the real world
102's - Be able to count to 20 (added bonus points if you can do it with your shoes on)
103's - Be able to count to 10 (added bonus if you can do it without using your fingers)
104's - Find the class room, get a diploma

In other words all the "Canada has a great education system" stats are BS. The kids in the 101 to 104 classes are never allowed to go near a standardized test. We pump out high school grads that can't spell, or count. The only good thing I can say about the system is that a university grad tends to be a pretty sharp cookie.

[250rAL]

I've had 2 or 3 young trainees recently that can't tell time on a clock with hands. They have to pull out their phone. They can't take part of one day in elementary to teach them that?

[onformula1]

Interestingly enough I used algebra today to create a formula in excel to quickly calculate UCCR so all I have to modify are my inputs, volume/bore/stroke. I also use it at work. Calculus or stats, not so much...Math makes the world go around.

May I have a copy?, my calculator has one broken key. Thanks Brother.

[Scootertrash]

It's all about dumbing down the populace and getting more money "for the children", as in the schools, as in the school administrators who constantly raise their salaries as opposed to actually spending the money on the students and their needs, then complain that the schools don't have enough money. Throw in parents who think the school should RAISE their crotch fruit instead teach them, and lastly but not leastly increasingly socialist teachers who teach children WHAT TO THINK instead of HOW TO THINK. But it all works out in the end for the Government. Dumber, lazier people need more .gov help and hand outs which equals more government control over the peasants.