50 Years Of Teaching Math In 'Exceptional' America

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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How America became 'exceptional'...

(Canada isn't much better)




Of course, as we noted previously, our system of education is not entirely to blame. The truth is that young Americans spend far more time consuming media than they do hitting the books, and what passes for “entertainment” these days is rapidly turning their brains to mush.

According to a report put out by Nielsen, this is how much time the average American spends consuming media on various devices each day…


Watching live television: 4 hours, 32 minutes
Watching time-shifted television: 30 minutes
Listening to the radio: 2 hours, 44 minutes
Using a smartphone: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Using Internet on a computer: 1 hour, 6 minutes


When you add it all up, the average American spends more than 10 hours a day plugged into some form of media.

And if you allow anyone to pump “programming” into your mind for 10 hours a day, it is going to have a dramatic impact.

In the end, I truly believe that we all greatly underestimate the influence that the mainstream media has on all of us. We willingly plug into “the Matrix” for endless hours, but then somehow we still expect “to think for ourselves”.

There are very few of us that can say that we have not been exposed to thousands upon thousands of hours of conditioning. And all of that garbage can make it very, very difficult to think clearly.

It is not because of a lack of input that we have become so stupid as a society. The big problem is what we are putting into our minds.

If we continue to put garbage in, we are going to continue to get garbage out, and that is the cold, hard reality of the matter.

50 Years Of Teaching Math In 'Exceptional' America | Zero Hedge
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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My uncle had to give remedial Math classes to American trainees on a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan training base during WWII. Every Canadian high school graduate at the time in Canada had to have passed Trigonometry (called "Functions", in my time). This as not a requirement of the school systems in the US and a good number of their "College boys" who were enrolling didn't have the mathematical background to navigate aircraft. The ex-RCAF aircrew who were my neighbours all around us while I was growing up used to say that's why the Americans always bombed in the daytime, so that they wouldn't get lost.
 

Danbones

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Sep 23, 2015
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they like to get bombed in the daytime too
thats why cornerstores sell booze
 

Locutus

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practical mathematics...but the implied implication is implied...and besides, let's not get carried away comparing 100 turnip countries with the social science degree west or our lumosity fit tests. :lol:
 

tay

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May 20, 2012
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practical mathematics...but the implied implication is implied...and besides, let's not get carried away comparing 100 turnip countries with the social science degree west or our lumosity fit tests. :lol:
Well yes, Adam, as an American is speaking to the Americans who set their education standards and I agree with him.

I'm not sure why you are getting all snitty because Canadians score higher. To me that's a good thing and why we will likely never elect a Trump.........
 

Cannuck

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Feb 2, 2006
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Kids today don't even know how to shoe a horse either. What the fack's this world coming to

Sniffity sniff
 

taxslave

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Johnnny

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Jun 8, 2007
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Its not that the system sucks today its just that kids have easier access to tools such as a calculator and google.

Back in the day we were taught to "write things down", nowadays they type it out. Your brain will have an easier time remembering things you write as opposed to things you type.

Back in the day you had to "hunt" down information by going out to the library to find books or talk to a professional. Nowadays you just have to google that which in my opinion isnt the same.

Back in the days we memorized tables like multiplication, nowadays you can use the calculator on the phone.

There are more distractions in the school these days compared to before and this is the biggest mind killer. Kids would rather spend time on facebook messenger in class than write things down. And these are the kids that more often than not complain

I could go on and on...
 

taxslave

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Its not that the system sucks today its just that kids have easier access to tools such as a calculator and google.

Back in the day we were taught to "write things down", nowadays they type it out. Your brain will have an easier time remembering things you write as opposed to things you type.

Back in the day you had to "hunt" down information by going out to the library yo find books or talk to a professional. Nowadays you just have to google that which in my opinion isnt the same.

Back in the days we memorized tables like multiplication nowadays you can use the calculator on the phone.

I could go on and on...

Must ask my grandkids who are 11 & 8 if they can do multiplication tables.
 

davesmom

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Oct 11, 2015
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Kids don't have to know mathematics. All they need is a calculator. If these kids pay for anything they buy with cash it would be soooooo easy to rip them off by shorting their change. They wouldn't know the difference. They can't count.
They don't have to know the answers to test questions. With multiple choice, they can guess at an answer and there's a 50% chance it will be the right one. Even if they fail they will still get promoted to the next grade. Can't damage their little egos now, can we?
The whole education system is now designed to make less work for the teachers. If the kids don't learn to read, spell or calculate, that's THEIR problem!
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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Go to a store. Pay with cash. Enjoy the show while the clerk tries to make the change the cash register tells her.

It's 2017. Making change from a cash register is not an important skill. No wonder you're so crusty. Get with the times.

If these kids pay for anything they buy with cash it would be soooooo easy to rip them off by shorting their change.

They don't buy anything with cash. Get with the times or step aside. You're in the way of progress
 

taxslave

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Nov 25, 2008
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It's 2017. Making change from a cash register is not an important skill. No wonder you're so crusty. Get with the times.

Just because you lack the skills necessary to work with money doesn't mean it isn't important. That is why you will never move up from sorting beer cans.