re: How dumb do you have to be to not understand common core?

Understanding it and recognizing that it is the stupidest way you can possibly teach someone to add and substract are two different things. We all understand it, but it is a far more complicated way to teach an easy concept.

quote:

---

The only people in this world that need to understand advanced math principles are math majors and a few physics/engineering doctoral degrees. The other 99% of the world is just fine understanding math with a calculator.

---

You know what, that's a fine point. As soon as kids move past basic arithmetic to advanced concepts, it's pretty much expected that any arithmetic that is quicker to plug into a calculator is going to be plugged into a calculator. It probably doesn't matter how arithmetic is taught, as long as the student understands what is happening when you add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

But, since this thread and all other common core threads before it seem to be an all-or-nothing debate about common core, I do wonder: Does anyone take issue, outside of math, with the other subjects' suggested methods for teaching to the common core standard?

Take English language arts, for example. Reading comprehension when I was in grade school was primarily focused on understanding what happened -- characters, actions, chronology, etc. Teaching to common core goals might involve asking elementary students to discuss how two different characters' beliefs/actions/goals contributed to one or more plot points in the story.

Or science. An example higher-level assignment on the subject of biofuel and fossil fuel that reflects the goals of common core: Which is a better energy source: biofuels or fossil fuels? After reading articles and potential energy diagrams, write a report that compares the reactions of hydrogen biofuel vs. fossil fuels and argues which is a better energy source.

The assignment takes it to a level deeper than asking the student to research one or both fuels and compile factoids into an essay. Maybe the OT school for the elite has always done this type of stuff, but the point of common core is also to encourage analysis and critical thinking, and rigor, where it may not currently exist.

Ignoring the political view of federal education standards enforcement, are there any merits to common core outside of math? If so, is there a better way to teach to these goals as a whole, or should we toss the whole thing?

It's more like knowing the route between Atlanta and New Orleans rather than the name of the destination.

The point is there is not a lot of context to basic addition and subtracting.

Trig, geometry, and calculus I could understand.

quote:

---

She's probably intelligent enough to understand this concept on her own. Not everyone is gifted.

---

She probably does. It just isn't how we were taught, and it seems very cumbersome to get from A to B by way of LGRZQ.

quote:

---

ath hasn't changed. People have. For the worse.

---

It's more likely that global competition has gotten greater. When we were at the top it was because we had a greater rate of literacy. Now the standards have gotten greater than just being able to read, and we haven't kept up. From what I can see there's a better argument to be made that people in this country haven't changed enough.

quote:

---

But, if common core's purpose is to better provide an understanding and reasoning behind why the answer is the answer, in the long run it will probably benefit students. Doing basic math as fast as possible isn't as important to development as understanding the principles behind the equations, IMO.

---

NERD

Yeah but it's also specificity.

There only so many way you could say 1+1=2. It isn't really anything to analyze. Unless you want to teach them the whole philosophy and history behind numerology lol

If the trend is to keep teaching basic math this way then we have failed the future generation.

quote:

---

Math was taught the same way I learned it when we were at the top. Math hasn't changed. People have. For the worse.

---

Or maybe the other nations found a better way to teach math ya old corncob pipe lookin arse piece of &@$%