On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:20:54 -0500, "Robert Green"
wrote:

Snip
--
Bobby G.



funny, most HS grads these days can't count back change.

Most? You must travel in different circles than I do. I can't see how
businesses survive if "most" of their counter employees are giving the wrong
change back. Implying that Americans are that fu&ing stupid is something
I'd expect from Harry or HomeGuy. It's sad to see HeyBub (and you?) join
the ranks of the America bashers here.

I think you need to get your head out of your ass and see what's going
on around you. First, the counter employees are probably giving the
correct change back because the cash register tells them the correct
amount... if they enter it correctly. Second, even if they gave the
wrong amount back how many people would know? A small percentage I'm
sure. Next time you buy something, as an example, for less than $20
have your $20 bill laying on the counter. After the cashier has your
total and the amount of change calculated hand the cashier the change
necessary for you to get only whole dollars back. At that point you
will probably get a response like "we can't do that" or "I already
have it entered and I have to complete the sale that way. Many of
today's kids don't know how to solve problems.

And most of them will need to whilst working at mcdonalds. I think the
point he was
trying to make is that they don't teach any PRACTICAL math anymore.
Just feel good **** and stuff that doesn't matter.

If that's what you want to believe, then more power to you. But looking at
what they're actually being taught and tested on tells a different, slightly
less pessimistic, much more truthful story. While smart cash registers have
reduced the need for employees to mentally calculate the change, I don't
think it's fair to slander the entire 5th grade population of the country by
insinuating that they're all doing "2 + 2" math or that they don't know
numbers from colors.

My daughter had taken a math quiz when she was in 5th grade. All of
the questions were taken directly from the book. One question was
"What is one fourth of 100?" My daughter, like I used to do, wrote
only her answer, "25," but didn't show her work. Her answer was
marked as incorrect. She brought the quiz home asked me why it was
wrong and also pointed out that the answer in the back of the book
said "75." I told her the book was wrong. I wrote the short equation
and solved it and the answer we got was not a color. When she went to
school the next day she talked to the teacher about the quiz and
showed her the equation we wrote and solved. Then she also told the
teacher the book was wrong. After looking at my equation, then the
answer in the book, each several times, she said to my daughter "your
dad is an engineer and has taken calculus, right? My daughter said
yes and the teacher said "in that case I'll give you credit for it
then". Apparently the teacher wasn't taught how to solve problems
either.

It's just more pointless America bashing AFAICT and
this time from an American, not some damn furriner. That's sad to see.
Especially in a newsgroup that has nothing at all to do with 5th grade math
education.

How many times have you seen home repair questions posted here asking
how to troubleshoot a problem? The poster lacks basic troubleshooting
skills because they weren't taught in school.

On 2/22/2012 10:36 AM, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:20:54 -0500, "Robert Green"
wrote:

Snip
--
Bobby G.



funny, most HS grads these days can't count back change.

Most? You must travel in different circles than I do. I can't see how
businesses survive if "most" of their counter employees are giving the wrong
change back. Implying that Americans are that fu&ing stupid is something
I'd expect from Harry or HomeGuy. It's sad to see HeyBub (and you?) join
the ranks of the America bashers here.

I think you need to get your head out of your ass and see what's going
on around you. First, the counter employees are probably giving the
correct change back because the cash register tells them the correct
amount... if they enter it correctly. Second, even if they gave the
wrong amount back how many people would know? A small percentage I'm
sure. Next time you buy something, as an example, for less than $20
have your $20 bill laying on the counter. After the cashier has your
total and the amount of change calculated hand the cashier the change
necessary for you to get only whole dollars back. At that point you
will probably get a response like "we can't do that" or "I already
have it entered and I have to complete the sale that way. Many of
today's kids don't know how to solve problems.

And most of them will need to whilst working at mcdonalds. I think the
point he was
trying to make is that they don't teach any PRACTICAL math anymore.
Just feel good **** and stuff that doesn't matter.

If that's what you want to believe, then more power to you. But looking at
what they're actually being taught and tested on tells a different, slightly
less pessimistic, much more truthful story. While smart cash registers have
reduced the need for employees to mentally calculate the change, I don't
think it's fair to slander the entire 5th grade population of the country by
insinuating that they're all doing "2 + 2" math or that they don't know
numbers from colors.

My daughter had taken a math quiz when she was in 5th grade. All of
the questions were taken directly from the book. One question was
"What is one fourth of 100?" My daughter, like I used to do, wrote
only her answer, "25," but didn't show her work. Her answer was
marked as incorrect. She brought the quiz home asked me why it was
wrong and also pointed out that the answer in the back of the book
said "75." I told her the book was wrong. I wrote the short equation
and solved it and the answer we got was not a color. When she went to
school the next day she talked to the teacher about the quiz and
showed her the equation we wrote and solved. Then she also told the
teacher the book was wrong. After looking at my equation, then the
answer in the book, each several times, she said to my daughter "your
dad is an engineer and has taken calculus, right? My daughter said
yes and the teacher said "in that case I'll give you credit for it
then". Apparently the teacher wasn't taught how to solve problems
either.

It's just more pointless America bashing AFAICT and
this time from an American, not some damn furriner. That's sad to see.
Especially in a newsgroup that has nothing at all to do with 5th grade math
education.

How many times have you seen home repair questions posted here asking
how to troubleshoot a problem? The poster lacks basic troubleshooting
skills because they weren't taught in school.

Would you call it lack of troubleshooting skill or lack of logic and
critical thought education? o_O

TDD