Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when 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:

Fifty Years of Math 1959 - 2009 (in the USA )

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when 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:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

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

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

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?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

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

4. Teaching Math In 1980s

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.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

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, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.)

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when 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:

Fifty Years of Math 1959 - 2009 (in the USA )

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when 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:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

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

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

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?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

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

4. Teaching Math In 1980s

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.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

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, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.)

2011; Government taxes the logger $30 on his 'obscene' profit.
Would be a lot funnier if it wasn't so true!

Your Burger King story is one that is repeated in this country hundreds if not thousands of times a day.

My sons, ages 30 and 37 are in my opinion, intelligent educated young men. One has a degree in Environmental Planning plus an advanced degree in Public Policy, the other a 4 year degree in Journalism. Both have successful careers. But if you ask either what is 1/2 of 3/8, they would both have to reach for their calculators.

By comparison when I suggested to my Dad (1915-1994) that he purchase a computer to help pass the time after my Mom died, said – “What do I need a computer for? I CAN ADD!” Even though he was wrong in his assumption that a computer was strictly a calculator he certainly COULD add and was very good at mathematics. His education ended at Grade 8 but that coupled with his work as a tradesman afforded him all the math skills needed.

Much has been said about the inadequacies of our public school system and your experience is a glaring reminder. I guess the secret is to make sure the BK clerk gets the $2.08 right up front BEFORE ringing up the order so the register can do the work and he/she isn't confused with the advanced mathematics needed to make change! Sad to say, isn’t it?

15 years ago, or so, I had a similar problem. After ringing up the order, gave the girl the odd change. She didn't cry but, called the teen-aged shift manager over to help and, he had to use a calculator to figure it out.
Now that they take credit cards, we no longer have that problem. However, since I only took 2 yrs of LATIN in High school, and flunked it, I still end up with random bags of food that have no relation to my order.

[QUOTE=lazeelink;273826]

"Much has been said about the inadequacies of our public school system and your experience is a glaring reminder."

As a former educator (both classroom teacher and administrator) I concur with some, but not all the criticism aimed at our public schools. Any thoughtful dialogue regarding the American public school system's failure to educate all of it's students is invalid without acknowledging the critical role a parent plays in the success of their child's education.

Well, the children do not learn as much as we did but heck, they sure feel good about themselves.


The only role my parents played in my education was to make sure I attended school every day.

[quote=Annabelle;274066]

Originally Posted by lazeelink

"Much has been said about the inadequacies of our public school system and your experience is a glaring reminder."

As a former educator (both classroom teacher and administrator) I concur with some, but not all the criticism aimed at our public schools. Any thoughtful dialogue regarding the American public school system's failure to educate all of it's students is invalid without acknowledging the critical role a parent plays in the success of their child's education.

So agreed
One of us was a middle school educator in the 'older days' (math in fact)
and the veteran teachers told her to go through the motions and take the paycheck twice a month.

She wanted to 'make a difference' but that was tough.
Big suburban county system

I still argue that most schools leave out the most important things (and parents are not doing much to take up the slack:

Time management
Interpersonal Relationships
Study habits
Personal Finance
and more....

Why would they leave out such topicality?

I argue that schools are 'teaching to the texts' - those QUANTIFIABLE parameters like history dates, math formulae and equations, chemistry and [physics tables....
Go for the higher scores, make the system look good, and thew schools get more funding for performance - more money means more field trips and a nicer lounge and amenities for the staff.

Frivolous 'educational' field trips - Ski trip? Amusement park, please!!

Don't get us started on soda and JUICE! machines in the schools from greedy pushy vending companies - and PTA's (known by many of out teachers as part time alcoholics in the 50's) on the take from them.

Dont get us started on the commercialization in our schools - why do we need BIG COKE to p[ay for the school sign out front with their message on it?

Obesity, asthma, diabetes, autism, ADD, and a plethora of things that were strange and scarce in 'our day' are abounding in this day and age of modern medicine. Counter intuitive and ironic?

Could it be, we beg to ask, simple greed and a lack of compassion for the kids?

And we're victims of dumbing down too.
While we'll always be able to add columns in our heads and figure out the fifty-cent change (thanks to the absence of the 'change' function of the cashbox in our day of the hand crank register) we're afraid that we're losing the ability to remember the hundreds of phone numbers we used to know thanks to speed dialing, and how the heck to find out way without the almighty GPS.

Yes, this started out as fun, but wow, how sad the truth becomes

Someone pass on a good joke please, we dug ourselves a little deep,
maybe we'll head on over a few lines to the laugh forum

Thanks

L and L

Government schools are now not set up to teach kids because their new job is to indoctrinate them with Liberal thought and guilt complexes.

The reason and cause for this is:

The liberal org. known as the NEA

Liberal teachers who graduated from brainwashing Liberal schools

Originally Posted by cashman

Government schools are now not set up to teach kids because their new job is to indoctrinate them with Liberal thought and guilt complexes.

The reason and cause for this is:

The liberal org. known as the NEA

Liberal teachers who graduated from brainwashing Liberal schools

That's interesting. Things must have changed since we were last in a classroom as students. We got a good dose of the 3 R's and learned what we assumed was right from wrong.
At least if these kids make it to their late 40's intact, they can move to TV and get away from all that lib'ral lernin' and go hear the speakers at the book signings and tune in to FOX.

L and L

Cashman, You are so right. When I went to school we learned the 3 r's. By the time I became a teacher, in the late 60's, things started to change. I resented every nickel I gave to the NEA, but if you didn't join you were ostracized. The NEA and United Way were the first groups in the building, looking for moiney, at the start of the school year. Now it has gotten to the point of complete indoctrination. Very sad.

Sometime in the 1980s or early 90s, I was at a Wendys joint.

I ordered some food, handed over some cash. I forget the exact numbers, but I'd given her some extra change to make the 'change' easier. HOWEVER - their auto-change machine (the one where the change coins would roll into the little dish) was broken.

She stood there, seizing up, not knowing what to do. I knew what was happening. The left side of her brain was being called upon for the first time in ages.

I said to her "You know those days in high school when you were bored in math class and said 'When am I ever going to need this?' - TODAY is that day!"