|
|
 |
I know that I
am not the only one who gets angry, but…
By Sharon Hopper
I hear about the testing that is going on in the schools and some good
and some bad perceptions have resulted. But somehow I think that all
this talk about testing and preparation for life in the real world has
gotten lost. For instance. We have cash registers that tell the clerk
how much the purchase is and how much change should be given back to
the customer. But sometimes even that is misinterpreted. Let me see—I
learned that if something cost .50 and I gave the clerk 1.00 I should
receive .50 back in change. Now that was not too hard. The question
then became should I receive 2 quarters, or 4 dimes and 2 nickels. or 1
quarter, 2 dimes, and 1 nickel. I honestly watched a cashier recently
puzzled as what to do because she only had one quarter and could not
seem to figure out what the rest should be. I told her what her options
were but she insisted she had to call the manager and I waited. Could
not believe the lack of knowledge. Better yet let me give you the
latest one.
My husband went to a store and purchased a cart full of dirt,
fertilizer and lime. The bill came to 88.30. The clerk took his 100.00
bill and put it in the drawer, then proceeded to count out 88.30 and
gave it back to my husband. He tried three times to explain to her that
she was wrong and he should only receive back 11.70. Finally a manager
came to the store’s rescue and the situation was resolved. He could
have left but he is an honest person. My whole point in this story is
where did we go wrong teaching simple math? And more to the point what
good is testing if people cannot do simple everyday things?
Someone tried to explain to me how they arrive at math answers in
today’s math. Quite frankly I was lost before they began. Whatever
happened to 2+2 = 4, or 20 + 2 =22. Not two 10’s and 2. My calculator
may use the second method, but I put in 20+2 and the calculator tells
me it equals 22.
We have gotten so complicated that many in this world just cannot
function anymore. And they just plain give up. What good is the test if
our children still cannot read, write, and do simple math. I think that
our education needs to revert back to the days of simple learning and
failing students who cannot make the grade. I think that we need to do
away with thinking that children will get their feelings hurt if they
are held back. What really hurts is when they cannot function in the
outside world. Oh well I am just plain old fashioned, but I can
function in this old world of ours. Thank goodness I learned math the
old fashioned way. I can make change.
|
|
|
<
|
