"Puckdropper" wrote in message
reenews.net...
"George" wrote in
t:


"Puckdropper" wrote in message
reenews.net...
wrote in news:1161539089.540990.280170

What they don't teach (and should) is that sometimes in the real
world it's easier to leave the fraction unreduced and work with it.

Sorry, can't teach that. Teaching something supplies the knowledge,
but learning when or how to apply that knowledge requires
participation.


You can teach that in theory and suggest they try it on homework (Ooh,
story problems!) You can even require they use that method on the
homework and take off points if they don't. (Give them points for a
correct answer if they use another method, but not all the points.)


But you can't "fail" them if they don't do the work.

In truth, though, I had more than a few who picked up their basic concept of
fractions a few years late in IA class. Little Physics and Chemistry, too.
Didn't have to listen to those whining "what are we ever gonna use this
for?"