Quote:
Originally posted by adrian jaye
more to the point are you likly to use it in the real world ?
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I often gave my math teachers a hard time when in high school, and I've asked the same thing. Now I don't see such excercises as a waste of time, lacking "real world" use.
The problem was given to a group of Jr. High School students, and I'm sure they are all questioning its merit. I acutally think the question is a great mind excercise. Without the use of Excel or other means unavailable to students in Jr. HS, they'll have to deductively reason their way toward the right answer. Not all of them will understand it, but if the teacher explains it to the class adequately after their work has been turned in, you may hear the light bulbs going on above their heads.
The problem(s) in math or science are meerly the tools used in teaching problem solving and reasoning skills that make great thinkers. Unfortunately (as I'm seeing with the stuff our kids bring home), some teachers (and administrators) don't seem to understand this. Our school district is a great school district (and we pay top tax dollars to live here), yet the programs they have instituted for math makes me wonder if they are teaching good reasoning skills. I worry that some of the teachers don't understand the goal of teaching math to grade school and Jr. HS students.