Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

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M.J. McDermott is speaking about the current state of math education, as a private citizen . KCPQ does not endorse this video.

Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

Channel: Howto & Style
Uploaded: January 15, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Author: prestondave

Length: 00:15:25
Rating: 4.50
Views: 661747

Tags: Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

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Video Comments:
grandmagrumpy (December 4, 2008 at 10:43 pm)
You might want to watch some 'proper grammar' videos next.
ruiruivo83 (December 3, 2008 at 9:22 am)
The second method should be teached much more than it is, it is the best fot math by head. the third is not very usefull.
ecj314 (December 2, 2008 at 5:18 pm)
My math teacher taught us all of these methods. Obviosuly, the algorithms were stressed because high schools will use them. It angers me when people say that the algorithms "don't teach" placement and other lessons. Math wasn't created to be self-explanatory. Don't we have teachers who explain placement and the like? Our methods of calculation can't do that work-they are created for the purpose of lessening the work needed to arrive at an answer.
joeytwomugs (December 2, 2008 at 2:54 pm)
I got to around 5 minutes and got too annoyed.

Just because she is too stupid to be use all the methods doesn't mean they should be unnaceptable. Who cares if she got confused with some methods, she can use her single way of working. And that sneering remark at 4:53 'when problems get cumbersome, we can just reach for a calculator'. Cluster problems may be easier for quick mental math if you don't have a pen and paper handy. I vary my method depending on the sum and situation.

Bloody Math Nazi
RAWowner333 (December 1, 2008 at 2:20 pm)
this is the most retarded thing i've ever heard of. I'm in calc 2 and yeah sure i use a calculator only to figure out 2343*384 to take less time to use the normal algorithm.

once again..retarded...
EdgeStormcrow (November 30, 2008 at 10:17 am)
im with ya sister.. this chick is right.. im doing maths at uni and i still cant long divide, cos they made us remember a song..

a song.. and i forgot the song and cant long divide anymore lol !
MsMathTeacher (November 29, 2008 at 7:29 pm)
As a parent and math teacher I have found Everyday Math to provide a strong program which helps students develop "number sense", meaning they do not simply memorize algorithms, but actually understand why the they work. This is critical for students to use what they know to solve new problems or situations.
I feel very strongly that kids need to do a certain amount of basic memorization- multiplication tables, etc. I am often shocked at how much high school students rely on calculators.
deprofundis442 (November 29, 2008 at 1:28 am)
Doesn't the government decide on the ciriculum these days though? If that's so, then teachers don't really have a say.
gerstners (November 28, 2008 at 10:20 pm)
She is not claiming to be an expert in math.
xingfenzhen (November 25, 2008 at 7:07 pm)
I think her point is that those thing should be taught in geography class instead. You learn methods in math class and then apply them in other classes like geography, science etc, rather than combine them