Americans stink at math

[PandaBear]

It takes a good teacher to teach good math/science students, along with parents that care about these subjects.

We don't have either here (as an average, you will of course see exceptions) compare to other nations where these skills get you out of poverty and into the middle class.

Our students in the AP programs are excellent though.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: expat
I think Math is a 'Use it or loose it' skill, I know when pocket calculators became popular my math skills went to heck.
But I have seen guys that play Darts how can do basic math in their heads at fantastic speed even tough in other respects, they are not ....Big Thinkers.


I had great long hand skills in fundamental math since calculators were expensive and only sold by TI "back in the day". On one of my reinventions I was in a class with younger people and I could manually beat them at all the problems. I'm pathetic at upper math, but had managed to pattern the chaos in my head to a number of assured given techniques to work. Once the calculators came out, it was obvious that the gross work load could never be accomplished long hand. It also atrophied all of the patterned methods that I had relied on for decades. I used to be able to remember my whole personal phone book based on a formula for each person's phone number. Now there is no way that I can manage that.


Does that make you more stupid than when you were younger?
Probably not, you proberbly apply your mind to other (more useful) matters, the skills you once had, have atrophied, yet I'm sure, if need be you could soon 'brush up' and get back to an approximation of what you once could do.
There is more to intelligence than being a human calculator.
Calculators are not very clever!

 

[labman]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
It's in the governments best interest to have an educated populus. How you get there and who pays for it is another discussion entirely.


Heads filled with facts perhaps, but not critical thinking skills.

 

[silverrat]

Forget about math skills, have you seen people's penmanship lately?

 

[AdRock]

When I think of the math skills some people have these days it always remindsme of this from Sinbad. Fast ofrward to 35 seconds. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qv-Cl7g_Rw

"Just reach in a get how much you think you should get back" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[AcuraTech]

Americans ARE bad at math. I can count 100 times where I've been at a restaurant, when it comes time to split up the tab it very often ends up short, probably not because people are cheap, but because they can't figure it out mentally.

Simple way, 15% of $10 is $1.50. So if its $40 - $1.50 x 4 = $6. For so many people thats a big problem.

 

[Shannow]

It's not just Americans.

I've relayed this story here before of 10-12 years ago when I bought milk and bread (pre barcodes being widespread), the girl type, looked me in the eye, and said That will be $298.

I queried it, and she looked at the LCD, confirming that it was , in fact $298.

Now it would be $745, but the bar codes remove the thinking.

Then for $7.45, I give them $10.45. They hand the $0.45 back, then type in $10.)) tendered, and give $2.55 back.

 

[Mr Nice]

No need for math when many lazy Americans just sign on the dotted line and buy it on credit or with a loan.

Kids today are more preoccupied with watching TV, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, internet, X-Box ....etc, etc to want to learn how to do math the 'old fashioned' way. Plus when they go to college, they can use the calculator on their electronic toy iPhone.

 

[Shannow]

As to electronic toys, it's amazing when I'm tutoring chemistry, first thing I do is take away their calculator...I get a horrified shocked look. I explain that they are doing addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, and will only get the calculator back when working on pH etc.

Very quickly evident that the calculator is a major distraction to the thought process and understanding.

Now we're getting uni grads who can FE their way to model any part of the power station, but when you ask them to describe the process, they are stumped.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
No need for math when many lazy Americans just sign on the dotted line and buy it on credit or with a loan.

Kids today are more preoccupied with watching TV, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, internet, X-Box ....etc, etc to want to learn how to do math the 'old fashioned' way. Plus when they go to college, they can use the calculator on their electronic toy iPhone.



No you can't. iPhone's calculator aren't powerful enough to do scientific stuff, you need a TI-89 or 92 or whatever.

I don't think you can just average out the math skill of today's students because they are so far apart. Some have AP Calculus and they are top notch, but many failed to do even basic math and those don't get to go to college.

Ask yourself, how many of you spend time with your kids daily with their homework, before you blame the school or the education system or the government.

How many of you actually read the textbook with the kids when they get stuck and work with them on difficult problems?

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: AcuraTech


Simple way, 15% of $10 is $1.50. So if its $40 - $1.50 x 4 = $6. For so many people thats a big problem.
It is for me. Anything over single digets and I need my fingers or A calculator.

42+ 37---Stuff like this and I'm clueless. I guess I'm dumb.

 

[crinkles]

forty plus 30 = 70
2 plus 7 = 9
answer = 70 plus 9

 

[TallPaul]

There are governments that are not corrupt?

Brainwashed? Igornant? Both can serve the same purpose and there is a lot of overlap.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
Thats a pretty cynical view. Short term fine, but like you say long term it's in everybodys best interest to have an educated populace.


When terms are 3 or 4 years, you only need a goldfish population with that sort of attention span.

When you can trains a population to repeat mantras like "interest rates are lower under .....", you're not really interested in them being critical thinkers.

 

[MarkC]

You think math skills suck? Show an average American a map and ask them where Eye-rack is....

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: crinkles
forty plus 30 = 70
2 plus 7 = 9
answer = 70 plus 9


Schools don't teach math this way anymore and haven't for years. This method you are showing was taught to me by my grandmother when I was in elementary school. I have since explained addition and subtraction this way to many people that struggle with basic math. They all say the same thing: nobody ever showed them this basic method and I guess they never thought of it on their own. I do percentages the same way. If someone asks for a percentage, I round it to the closest number that is divisible by 5 (5%, 10%, 15%, etc.) and calculate it using that as my reference point, much like you did on your addition.