Calcuators have made the youth of today stupid.

I use an HP RPN calculator that uses reverse polish notation. Those who are used to algebraic calculators (1 + 1 = 2) are totally lost because RPN calculators do not have an equal (=) key.

Too many people are visual learners, do not read nor do critical thinking. Many people cannot read a 12- or 24-hour analog clock, only a digital clock.

With popular cultural influence we have raised, and continue to nurture generations who cannot think, read or analyze.

 

There's an apocryphal story about Einstein being asked for his phone number and his opening a phone book to look it up.
The ability to do math in you head (which btw I have) is of less real value in a world where your watch, cellphone, cash register, etc. all have more accurate calculators built in.
The ability to do math in your head can be viewed as a tool.
The real question is, if skill with this tool is decreasing, are skills with more valuable tools increasing.
How feeble are the computer and internet skills of many of you compared to those of your offspring?

As for spelling, think back about the origins of our spelling.
Ours is a phonetic language.
Words were originally spelled the way they were pronounced.
Because recording came about much later, the pronunciation changed but the spelling did not.
I think the most reasonable solution to the problem of teaching spelling would be to "correct" the spelling of words so they are spelled phonetically again.
Then students would not have to memorize a huge number of exceptions to rules which have no value other than to make those who memorize them better feel smarter.
-my 2p

 

The title is "The Feeling of Power". It's a short story and the text is available on the net.
I highly recommend it!. I use it in my math classes (yes, english assignments in math class!).
It's set in the "future", and the premise is that everyone has long forgotten how to do simple arithmetic. But not only that, society doesn't even realize that the human brain CAN do simple arithmetic! Everyone uses "hand computers". The amazing thing is that the story was written long before the hand held calculator. But it sure rings true!!!

Back to the original post. It's not a problem with math that we are talking about here. It's SIMPLE ARITHMETIC. Our educational system is failing. We don't make kids learn basic survival skills like adding and subtracting in our heads. Even when kids do learn to add and subtract, the skill atrophies because of calculators and lack of use.

And...don't get me started on cashiers!!!!!! I'm sure I would hit the max post length.
My pet peeve. NO ONE COUNTS OUT YOUR CHANGE ANYMORE!!!! I think I have hd a cashier actually count out the change once in the past two years. I mention this to every manager I can readily find. When that cashier counted out my change, I was so amazed, I ran to find the manager and thank him for hiring that cashier.
...end of rant....

 

Have to agree with that. Made a purchase yesterday that came to $4.58. Gave the cashier a $5 but was a bit slow getting the 8 cents out of my pocket. I apologized for making him adjust his change. He was an older gent and just chuckled. Called me around to his side of the register to show me the display. It had a display of a quarter, a dime, a nickel and a penny with the number of each required for correct change. His comment was that it's just sad that the store felt this system was necessary to "help" their cashiers.

 

I'm sorry folks...the ability to do SIMPLE addition and substraction in your head should be a bonefide job requirement for a cashier!

 

This is the end of civilization as we know it! B)

I was once in a store and the electricity went out. Yep, end of sales transactions, cash included. None of the salespeople has a clue what to do!!!

 

But I think the ability to simple arithmetic in your head is an invaluable skill. And that's what we are really talking about here. I always make a rough estimation of the total cost of all the items when I go shopping. The checkout machines (devilish scanners) are only as accurate as the people who programmed them. We need machines, but we also need the ability to do simple tasks with our brain just as much!

 

So, why do you think it is "invaluable"?

You make a rough estimation when shopping.
You've put in a reasonable amount of effort each time.
Does it generally change the outcome?

My point is that there are other simple tasks being performed more commonly now.

 

Point-of-sale transactions are not the simple exchange of money for goods that they used to be.
The transactional data recorded has value to the vendor.
If a vendor did not ascribe a value to that data greater than the value lost during an occasional outage, that vendor would likely have a backup generator.

 

Kiloran, you are joking right? Dumb kids with calculators to a political issue, BUT I couldn't resist....

Ahh, those pesky rich people. Always wanting tax cuts to wage wars and make their kids dumb with substandard education. Must be some way we could get rid of them. They always want to do dumb, geeky stuff like start businesses, go to college, and invest. Just so they can improve their own and families life. How selfish! Perhaps the government could make it illegal to have a net worth of let's say, $25,000 (anything owned over $25,000 would be 100% taxable). Then everyone would be the same and we would not have to work hard, go to school, or pay taxes; Utopia, no more rich people! We could even have rich people from other nations manage our affairs.

Please let me know of a nation as advanced as ours, with our freedoms, and a tax system which encourages innovation and risk. I'll move (along with my money and business) there tomorrow.


Rick
Soon (Jan 1, 2006 for the rich people tax credit) to own a 2006 package #4 so I can save money on gas and get even richer!! I might even need a calculator to see how much money I am saving!

 

I gotta say it's a pretty big leap turn a complaint about giving extra money to rich people into one advocating eliminating them.
Do you think our education funding is adequate?

 

No, but it has saved me from being overcharged. True, now you can the receipt because items are better identified these days. It was just one example to make a point.

I see your point and agree. I guess I am just saying that it doesn't bode well for society that we no longer instill (read: "MAKE them learn it") basic readn' ritn' and 'rithmetic in our kids.
When I taught Algebra, I was apalled at the lack of basic arithmetic skill of our youth (and this was a private school with reasonably high academic standards!).

 

Oops...didn't add the sarcasm disclaimer to my post. OK, it was a little harsh to blame the salesfolks, but it was a funny sight.

We really are slaves to our own technology sometimes.

Disclaimer: I love technology. And I will love my new Pruis........if it ever gets here. :lol:

 

and

Maybe if parents stop buying their kids X-box's/Ipods/Playstations and remove cable TV, we'll see a faaaaaaar better improvement.

Put as many teachers into the classroom as you want. In the end, someone other than the teacher has to choose between tonight's lesson on long division and making it into the next phase of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas....

 

I agree that everything we teach, we should teach well.
We can't do that if we don't pay teachers well enough to attract talent.
I doubt your students were less skilled at math because of calculators but rather because of less talented teachers (present company excluded ).

 

Yep and yep!
No games till homework is done AND reviewed by parent.
Parental involvement is VITAL to good education.

Maybe no Sopranos until kids homework is done and reviewed by parent would be a more effective rule.

 

Alpha, I completely agree with your post, but while we're all being pedantic here, I'll just point out that you've made a grammatical error.

The quoted sentence should read, "I wish I were dishonest and worked at a cash register now."

 

Yes, I do educational funding is adequate. I have two children in elementary school one in middle school. These are public schools and the kids are learning concepts that are least two to three years ahead of what I learned in my time.

Cars actually start every morning when you go to work. Spacecraft go into space and back and then again. Computers and software have reduced our workload by magnitudes compared to thirty years ago. Medical advances… These concepts and innovations are not products of dumb people.

Your choice of words stating “giving extra money to rich people†is misleading. That’s what the phrase “tax cut†means only in Washington. Any money any person makes, rich or poor, is their money. ANY money taxed is TAKEN away by the government. I can assure you, people do not legally become wealthy by having the government “give them extra moneyâ€. Even to get a Prius tax credit you still have to pay taxes. My previous statement regarding the elimination of rich people was simply a logical extension of taxing innovation and risk to the maximum. Think about it. It is all relative. Exactly how much does a “rich†make per year?

Of course any government should tax people to maintain a nation. It would be ludicrous to think otherwise. Perhaps you and I only differ with regards to taxation is how much financially successful individuals should be taxed.

 

viking31, you are joking right???

 

Agree
Agree

You're damn right. They learned it in my class or they didn't pass!
Now we're getting somewhere.

But...unfortunately, the school systems have increasingly allowed kids to slip through in spite of the best efforts of some good teachers.