Talk about getting old ...
 

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:07:10 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/13/13 10:03 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:57:09 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

There are still reasons to be able to do simply math in your hand or by
hand.

===

Your head seems to be fixated on your hand. Love at first sight?


This newsgroup needed a third Scotty. Welcome, ScottyWayne.

===

Shouldn't you be hard at work trying to repay your creditors and back
taxes? Maybe you can pass the hat at your upcoming 70th birthday
party, assuming there's anyone who wants to attend.

Talk about getting old ...
 

On Saturday, September 14, 2013 12:03:19 AM UTC-4, Wayne. B wrote:
Maybe you can pass the hat at your upcoming 70th birthday

party, assuming there's anyone who wants to attend.


I will ,,,,as long as I can **** on the cake.

**** HIM. I hope he ****ing croaks.

Talk about getting old ...
 

On 9/14/13 12:03 AM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:07:10 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/13/13 10:03 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:57:09 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

There are still reasons to be able to do simply math in your hand or by
hand.

===

Your head seems to be fixated on your hand. Love at first sight?


This newsgroup needed a third Scotty. Welcome, ScottyWayne.

===

Shouldn't you be hard at work trying to repay your creditors and back
taxes? Maybe you can pass the hat at your upcoming 70th birthday
party, assuming there's anyone who wants to attend.


Good morning, ScottyWayne.

Talk about getting old ...
 

On 9/14/13 1:58 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:22:55 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 12:38:12 -0400, wrote:

There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

===

The important thing is to understand the concepts not the actual
mechanics since literally no one does long division or square roots by
hand anymore.

Everyone should understand the basic mechanics of arithmetic and some
of the tricks like reciprocals so they can do basic calculations in
their head or at least with a pencil.
We are creating generations of people who are totally lost if the
battery does in their cell phone.


precisely.

Talk about getting old ...
 

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:41:23 -0400, BAR wrote:

In article , says...

On Thu, 12 Sep 2013 19:12:45 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" nowayalso.jose.com
wrote:

I was down in the basement going through some boxes of junk and came
across my K&E sliderule that I used back in high school while taking a
drafting course. I was never very proficient with it, but I
remembered how to do basic functions like multiplying a couple of
numbers.

So, my 15 year old grandson showed up at the house. I handed him the
slide rule and asked him if he knew what it was.

Not a clue. He played with it a little then handed it back asking
what it was.

I explained it was a slide rule and, if you knew how to use it, it
could solve very complex math problems.

He said, "Cool, but I can do all that on my cell phone".


There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

My grand daughter, in an advanced school in Palm Beach County, did not
get long division yet ... in the 4th grade.

My daughters AP Calculas, high school, wasn't allowed to use calculators for the first
semester. Calculators should be illegal in schools.

I tried giving some no-calculator tests/quizzes for 8th graders. Many parents went absolutely
bananas. I was improperly penalizing the kids. I had one girl doing a problem at the board in which
she had to multiply 6 times 7. She wanted to go to her desk to get her calculator. I wouldn't let
her.

The dad called the principal, had a meeting, accused me of purposely embarrassing his daughter (who,
he said, was having her period - as though I was supposed to know!). I suggested he buy some
multiplication and division flash cards and use them next time they went to King's Dominion.
Luckily, the principal and I got along very well, or I'd probably have been looking for another job.

John (Gun Nut) H.
--

Hope you're having a great day!

Talk about getting old ...
 

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:57:09 -0400, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 9/13/13 5:22 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 12:38:12 -0400, wrote:

There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

===

The important thing is to understand the concepts not the actual
mechanics since literally no one does long division or square roots by
hand anymore.


Well, maybe not square roots, but when I am cutting down a piece of
lumber into thirds or quarters, and it's an unknown length, I measure it
with a steel tape and then do "long division" to get and mark the lengths.

There are still reasons to be able to do simply math in your hand or by
hand.

When you are doing tricks like that it is easier to use the metric
scale on the tape too. No fractions of an inch to fool with

I deal in a lot of equipment installs that are metric and require
drawings in both metric and imperial. Metric is SO much easier and
neater.

Talk about getting old ...
 

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:41:23 -0400, BAR wrote:

In article , says...

On Thu, 12 Sep 2013 19:12:45 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" nowayalso.jose.com
wrote:

I was down in the basement going through some boxes of junk and came
across my K&E sliderule that I used back in high school while taking a
drafting course. I was never very proficient with it, but I
remembered how to do basic functions like multiplying a couple of
numbers.

So, my 15 year old grandson showed up at the house. I handed him the
slide rule and asked him if he knew what it was.

Not a clue. He played with it a little then handed it back asking
what it was.

I explained it was a slide rule and, if you knew how to use it, it
could solve very complex math problems.

He said, "Cool, but I can do all that on my cell phone".


There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

My grand daughter, in an advanced school in Palm Beach County, did not
get long division yet ... in the 4th grade.

My daughters AP Calculas, high school, wasn't allowed to use calculators for the first
semester. Calculators should be illegal in schools.

I tried giving some no-calculator tests/quizzes for 8th graders. Many parents went absolutely
bananas. I was improperly penalizing the kids. I had one girl doing a problem at the board in which
she had to multiply 6 times 7. She wanted to go to her desk to get her calculator. I wouldn't let
her.

The dad called the principal, had a meeting, accused me of purposely embarrassing his daughter (who,
he said, was having her period - as though I was supposed to know!). I suggested he buy some
multiplication and division flash cards and use them next time they went to King's Dominion.
Luckily, the principal and I got along very well, or I'd probably have been looking for another job.

John (Gun Nut) H.

Cool story, bro!

Talk about getting old ...
 

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:22:55 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 12:38:12 -0400, wrote:

There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

===

The important thing is to understand the concepts not the actual
mechanics since literally no one does long division or square roots by
hand anymore.

Everyone should understand the basic mechanics of arithmetic and some
of the tricks like reciprocals so they can do basic calculations in
their head or at least with a pencil.
We are creating generations of people who are totally lost if the
battery does in their cell phone.

My job keeps me math practiced. You are totally correct about basic math
mechanics. When my son was young and learning adding, subtracting
positives and negatives, I asked him if the he ever was shown a number
line. Nope, never. So, I drew one, he got the concept of negatives and
positives right away. When I grew up, everyone knew what a number line
was, and understood it. They need to put that back in the early math
courses.

Talk about getting old ...
 

On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:12:21 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:31:00 -0400, iBoaterer
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:22:55 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 12:38:12 -0400, wrote:

There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

===

The important thing is to understand the concepts not the actual
mechanics since literally no one does long division or square roots by
hand anymore.

Everyone should understand the basic mechanics of arithmetic and some
of the tricks like reciprocals so they can do basic calculations in
their head or at least with a pencil.
We are creating generations of people who are totally lost if the
battery does in their cell phone.

My job keeps me math practiced. You are totally correct about basic math
mechanics. When my son was young and learning adding, subtracting
positives and negatives, I asked him if the he ever was shown a number
line. Nope, never. So, I drew one, he got the concept of negatives and
positives right away. When I grew up, everyone knew what a number line
was, and understood it. They need to put that back in the early math
courses.

I am not even sure the current batch of teachers understand it. We are
old. They grew up with a calculator in their hand. (anyone younger
than 45 or so).
In 1971 my Bomar "4 banger" cost about $100.
A few years later you could get one free with a "fill up" at a gas
station.

Number lines were on the walls of all the middle school math teachers when I was teaching. I can't
imagine a decent teacher not having one when introducing kids to negative numbers.

John (Gun Nut) H.
--

Hope you're having a great day!

Talk about getting old ...
 

In article ,
says...

On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:12:21 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:31:00 -0400, iBoaterer
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 17:22:55 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 12:38:12 -0400, wrote:

There is some discussion that math skills like long division and doing
square roots may go the way of cursive writing.

===

The important thing is to understand the concepts not the actual
mechanics since literally no one does long division or square roots by
hand anymore.

Everyone should understand the basic mechanics of arithmetic and some
of the tricks like reciprocals so they can do basic calculations in
their head or at least with a pencil.
We are creating generations of people who are totally lost if the
battery does in their cell phone.

My job keeps me math practiced. You are totally correct about basic math
mechanics. When my son was young and learning adding, subtracting
positives and negatives, I asked him if the he ever was shown a number
line. Nope, never. So, I drew one, he got the concept of negatives and
positives right away. When I grew up, everyone knew what a number line
was, and understood it. They need to put that back in the early math
courses.

I am not even sure the current batch of teachers understand it. We are
old. They grew up with a calculator in their hand. (anyone younger
than 45 or so).
In 1971 my Bomar "4 banger" cost about $100.
A few years later you could get one free with a "fill up" at a gas
station.

Number lines were on the walls of all the middle school math teachers when I was teaching. I can't
imagine a decent teacher not having one when introducing kids to negative numbers.

John (Gun Nut) H.

Of course....