Teaching math.....

[jeepster09]

Last week I purchased a burger and fries at McDonalds for $3.58.****The
counter girl took my $4.00 and 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:





Teaching Math In 1950*

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





Teaching Math In 1960*


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?





Teaching Math In 1970*

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





Teaching Math In 1980*

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.




Teaching Math In 1990

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.)





Teaching Math In 2005*

Un ranchero vende una carretera de madera para $100. El cuesto de la
produccion era $80. Cuantos tortillas se puede comprar?

[crazymailman]

Sadly, true.

I have a friend who went into a deli and asked the college aged cashier for 1/2 pound of chicken salad. The cashier looking puzzled called over a co-worker and they whispered for a while. They then turned and asked how many ounces were in a pound.

[roscoguy]

cincuenta centavos? {sob}

[mr surveyor]

Sadly, true.

I have a friend who went into a deli and asked the college aged cashier for 1/2 pound of chicken salad. The cashier looking puzzled called over a co-worker and they whispered for a while. They then turned and asked how many ounces were in a pound.




27?

[Ubaldo99]

I know this is going to sound like "Old Fart" syndrome, but last year my brother and I took a little cross-country trip across the South. We stopped for lunch at a Burger King in Meridian, MS (sounds appetizing, doesnt it?!). Anyway, when we got to the cash register to place our order, my brother, who is an incorrigible jokester, said that he wanted a "Hattiesburger with Cheese"...playing on the Mississippi town name of "Hattiesburg". The poor young lady working the register studied her register buttons for several seconds until I finally groaned (at my brother's lousy joke), took pity on her, and said, "He's just joking...give him a Whopper". But the incident tells you something about the general IQ level of the under-20 set. We're doomed!

[yqtszhj]

this is no joke.

1988. I was at work in the break room. A blonde named Sheila (bleached by the way) was near the microwave. Someone asked her to set the microwave for 50 seconds or something like that. Somehow the conversation came around about setting it for a minute. She said you would enter 100. Somebody then asked her when you hit start what was the next numbers that come up. She said "duh, 99, 98, 97....." ROFLMAO.

[MikeyKahr]

I don't get it. ;)

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[LaP]

Unless you enjoy blank stares and waiting for a manager to come to the register, never hand a Susan B. Anthony dollar to a cashier.:rolleyes:

[Avenger]

Fresh out of college years back, I actually taught math in the public schools here in Texas. Did so for a few years until I got fed up with it.

The straw that broke the camels back was when, during a staff meeting, we were told that since the English scores for whatever the standardized test of the month was at the time were down, we all needed to spend the first 10 minutes of class time going over vocabulary words with our students.

I raised my hand and calmly asked the principal a two part question:

Are the English teachers going to spend the first 10 minutes of their class time going over the math that was missed in my class and that I know you will hold me accountable for when you do your evaluations of me and did you hire me to teach math or English?

I wasn't too popular with the principal after that, but, amazingly, I was with my fellow teachers.

As I leave this post, I will end with the old math teachers saying that...

Two wrongs don't make a right, but two negatives can make a positive. :)

[muggsy]

Fresh out of college years back, I actually taught math in the public schools here in Texas. Did so for a few years until I got fed up with it.

The straw that broke the camels back was when, during a staff meeting, we were told that since the English scores for whatever the standardized test of the month was at the time were down, we all needed to spend the first 10 minutes of class time going over vocabulary words with our students.

I raised my hand and calmly asked the principal a two part question:

Are the English teachers going to spend the first 10 minutes of their class time going over the math that was missed in my class and that I know you will hold me accountable for when you do your evaluations of me and did you hire me to teach math or English?

I wasn't too popular with the principal after that, but, amazingly, I was with my fellow teachers.

As I leave this post, I will end with the old math teachers saying that...

Two wrongs don't make a right, but two negatives can make a positive. :)

Are you sure? :)

[Bawanna]

I don't get it.

[bigmacque]

"How Many Tortillas?"
LOL

[WMD]

That was funny but unfortunately, also telling. Unfortunately, it sounds like the head of the school department does not have a brain. I have seen similar decisions in my own little town. You wonder where these people come from.....

[getsome]

Went to Wendys last Sunday and wanted to try their new chicken sandwich that has bacon, cheese and ranch dressing...I don't like ranch dressing so I asked the young lady at the order window for the sandwich but without ranch but add mustard...

She looked very confused and began to shake her head causing her dinner plate size ear rings to slap her smartly about the face and head and then she had to call the manager over to tell her in Spanish which buttons to push to place the order correctly...

Got the sandwich and it had no bacon, lots of pickles and double ranch dressing...Took it back and the manager made sure the next one was right but I was really thinking that Americas future work force is in big trouble....

[ltxi]

.............. But the incident tells you something about the general IQ level of the under-20 set. We're doomed!

Sorry, I just have to call foul on this one. You were dealing with what I've long referred to, ironically, as "Burger King Help" as a synonym for moron/idiot/stupid. (Yeah, I know that's stereotyping as well, but.....) I know quite a few folks in the 18-22 age group that I find quite intellectually impressive.

[O'Dell]

I'm sure you're right, Itxi, but I seldom run into them. I never go into fast food joints except for my morning senior coffee at McD's in the morning, but I do remember hiring servers, or more often not hiring servers at the Diner. Even with the ones that were hired, when I went though the tickets at night, about 30% had mistakes in addition, and these people had calculators. Oddly enough, about 90% of the mistakes were in the customer's favor - trolling for tips, maybe?