Common Core lol

[ttt]

www.ijreview.com/2015/09/423809-theres-a-hidden-reason-why-the-check-one-parent-wrote-to-an-elementary-school-is-so-hilarious/

When it comes to Common Core, there’s a myriad of jokes about it. There’s the kid who informed his teacher in matter-of-fact fashion that “you cannot make 10 with 8 + 5.”



There was the electronics engineer who consoled his kid that in the real world, “simplification is valued over complication” and that using Common Core methods on the job would result in “termination.”



Now, there’s one of the funnier jabs at Common Core in a while, this one coming via Twitter about a man in Ohio who decided to “put his money where his mouth is.”



If you check out the amount, it’s made out in “Common Core math.” So, if Millridge Elementary school wants to cash it, it’s going to have to explain to the bank cashier how it works (talk about an exercise in futility.)

[kme]

I hate Common Core but I would love to have my opinion change.

I cannot logically explain the math in the first picture. How does someone know to 5-2 + 3?

[ttt]

Sept 22, 2015 9:11:44 GMT -5 kme said:

I hate Common Core but I would love to have my opinion change.

I cannot logically explain the math in the first picture. How does someone know to 5-2 + 3?

I don't get it either. If you take 2 from 5, then it's not 5 anymore. 

[nsl]

There are times when I look at my second grader's math homework and think that I would have understood some concepts so much better if my teachers had used Common Core principles. Then there are the days when I want to send his math worksheets through the shredder and return them to his teacher in a Ziplock bag.

[wawa]

Sept 22, 2015 9:11:44 GMT -5 kme said:

I hate Common Core but I would love to have my opinion change.

I cannot logically explain the math in the first picture. How does someone know to 5-2 + 3?

I'm not a math teacher.  And my kid isn't in school yet.  But from what I've seen I'm pro the new way of doing things, so i'll take a swing at it.

So the whole point of that particular aspect of common core math is to "make 10's" instead of treating numbers as immutable objects.  Most people can think in 10's easily.  Like 10+20 is easier in your head than 54+27.   And most people (even the memorization imparied like me) can hold in their head single digit combos up to 10 (eta: also fingers can help).  So what you want to do is break down the numbers until you find a pair that adds to 10, add up whatever's left and then you have an answer. 

there are actually multiple answers to this problem - either break up the 5 or break up the 8.  The very long winded thought process if you take the 5:  You have a 5.  You need another 5 to get 10.  Taking a 5 from an 8 leaves you with a 3.  So now you have a 10 and a 3.  So that's 13.   The teacher did it the other way around.

This is how I do math in my head - but I had to teach it to myself in my late 20's when I got tired of being the engineer who can't do simple math.  Obviously it goes much quicker than that since I don't have to say it in words, but I really do think it through like that - 8 and 5, k, so that's 10 and 3, 13.  Just adding 8 plus 5 as themselves is like trying to swallow a whole orange in one bite.  I can't do it.  My brain just gets stuck.  I have to break it into segments. 

One thing to keep in mind - if this teacher doesn't suck (which is not a foregone conclusion) this concept was both explained at length in class and instructions are provided elsewhere on the worksheet.  So even though it sounds stupid as a single question it should make sense taken as a whole.  Also It's not the kind of thing that the student should be expected to do forever and ever - the idea is that you learn this way of thinling of numbers - that they're flexible and breakable and can be shifted around as you want - and then the math going out from there gets easier. Instead of having to keep memorizing and keep memorizing you know how to play with the numbers to do what you need when you get to multiplication and division and exponents and so forth.

[chedifuen]

These are funny!

That said, I like the common core math because I think it helps my kid get to the why of things, versus just memorization like I had. His class is working on multiplication and the arrays they put together to solve the problem take forever but he understands how to solve the problem very clearly.

All I ever did was chant the times tables until we memorized them all.

[chedifuen]

Also, common core math is very language rich. They are almost always solving word problems and being forced to explain the why. This helps to build on reading and writing skills. I think it's a more well-rounded approach then the old way of teaching each area separately.

[KateAggie]

I'm actually a fan of the "new math." And, at least at our school, it's taught as another way to get the result. I think it will really benefit the kids as concepts get harder, because it helps strip it down to the basics. And I say this as someone who has always, always struggled with math.

[leeba25]

Yeah "making 10s" is a sort of logical way for some people to think about number problems. So if I said, what's 99 plus 156, how quickly could you get to the answer? In my head, naturally, I'm going to take one away from 156 so that I can "make 100" out of that 99, and then add that 100 to the 155 I had left over. To me, that's much quicker, easier, and more intuitive than saying, ok, 9 plus 6 is 15, so I'll put a 5 down there and carry the one, then 9 plus 5 is 14 plus the one I carried is 15, so I'll put another 5 down and carry another one....

Now not everybody's mind works that way. Some people are better and faster at lining them up and doing the "carry the one" thing. And that's fine. Common core is about giving the kids a bunch of different methods and having them explore so they can eventually find the one that works for them.

That all being said, the problem above about making 10s was worded awkwardly, and it's also taken out of the context of the lesson. So as it reads, it sounds stupid and doesn't make any sense. So hence the ha-has.

ETA: or literally ditto to all wawa said, which I hadn't read first. Lols

[laurenpetro]

guys, if I can do this, you most certainly can.

[nursecramer]

Sept 22, 2015 9:25:58 GMT -5 wawa said:

Sept 22, 2015 9:11:44 GMT -5 kme said:

I hate Common Core but I would love to have my opinion change.

I cannot logically explain the math in the first picture. How does someone know to 5-2 + 3?

I'm not a math teacher.  And my kid isn't in school yet.  But from what I've seen I'm pro the new way of doing things, so i'll take a swing at it.

So the whole point of that particular aspect of common core math is to "make 10's" instead of treating numbers as immutable objects.  Most people can think in 10's easily.  Like 10+20 is easier in your head than 54+27.   And most people (even the memorization imparied like me) can hold in their head single digit combos up to 10 (eta: also fingers can help).  So what you want to do is break down the numbers until you find a pair that adds to 10, add up whatever's left and then you have an answer. 

there are actually multiple answers to this problem - either break up the 5 or break up the 8.  The very long winded thought process if you take the 5:  You have a 5.  You need another 5 to get 10.  Taking a 5 from an 8 leaves you with a 3.  So now you have a 10 and a 3.  So that's 13.   The teacher did it the other way around.

This is how I do math in my head - but I had to teach it to myself in my late 20's when I got tired of being the engineer who can't do simple math.  Obviously it goes much quicker than that since I don't have to say it in words, but I really do think it through like that - 8 and 5, k, so that's 10 and 3, 13.  Just adding 8 plus 5 as themselves is like trying to swallow a whole orange in one bite.  I can't do it.  My brain just gets stuck.  I have to break it into segments. 

One thing to keep in mind - if this teacher doesn't suck (which is not a foregone conclusion) this concept was both explained at length in class and instructions are provided elsewhere on the worksheet.  So even though it sounds stupid as a single question it should make sense taken as a whole.  Also It's not the kind of thing that the student should be expected to do forever and ever - the idea is that you learn this way of thinling of numbers - that they're flexible and breakable and can be shifted around as you want - and then the math going out from there gets easier. Instead of having to keep memorizing and keep memorizing you know how to play with the numbers to do what you need when you get to multiplication and division and exponents and so forth.

Yes, ditto all of this.

And Common Core is not any of these math questions or worksheets or methods. Common Core is a set of statements that represent the knowledge a student should have. For example some of the standards might say something like

Students should know that 10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones — called a "ten."
Students should know the numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine tens (and 0 ones).

Curriculum developers have created lessons, books, homework assignments, etc. to help achieve these standards. The particular problem above is the way one teacher/school chose to try to meet the Common Core standard about getting kids to think of tens as units to manipulate numbers.

[laurenpetro]

ps: frusturated parent sounds like a hella douchebag.

[twotrue]

wawa thanks for the explanation. I admit I haven't paid much attention to this issue other than to see some of the memes and just shake my head. But breaking numbers into 10s is what I do with dice and card games when I need to count the total quickly. I'm not sure if I do it in other situations but now I'll be paying attention to see if that's the case for me.

[MrsAxilla]

Sept 22, 2015 9:14:46 GMT -5 nsl said:

There are times when I look at my second grader's math homework and think that I would have understood some concepts so much better if my teachers had used Common Core principles. Then there are the days when I want to send his math worksheets through the shredder and return them to his teacher in a Ziplock bag.

I seriously cannot help my son with third grade math anymore.  I just tell him to circle it and ask his teacher.  He has the worst time with "explain how you got your answer". Like the engineer parent points out in his letter,"I subtracted 316 from 427 and got 111" isn't a suficient answer.

[wawa]

Sept 22, 2015 9:33:06 GMT -5 leeba25 said:

Yeah "making 10s" is a sort of logical way for some people to think about number problems. So if I said, what's 99 plus 156, how quickly could you get to the answer? In my head, naturally, I'm going to take one away from 156 so that I can "make 100" out of that 99, and then add that 100 to the 155 I had left over. To me, that's much quicker, easier, and more intuitive than saying, ok, 9 plus 6 is 15, so I'll put a 5 down there and carry the one, then 9 plus 5 is 14 plus the one I carried is 15, so I'll put another 5 down and carry another one....

Now not everybody's mind works that way. Some people are better and faster at lining them up and doing the "carry the one" thing. And that's fine. Common core is about giving the kids a bunch of different methods and having them explore so they can eventually find the one that works for them.

That all being said, the problem above about making 10s was worded awkwardly, and it's also taken out of the context of the lesson. So as it reads, it sounds stupid and doesn't make any sense. So hence the ha-has.

ETA: or literally ditto to all wawa said, which I hadn't read first. Lols

But you said it more succinctly.  So +1 bonus point.

[aurademystere]

Sept 22, 2015 9:33:58 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

ps: frusturated parent sounds like a hella douchebag.

Amen! Andplusalso, is there such a degree as "electronics engineering"? I've heard of electrical engineering, but not electronics engineering.

[laurenpetro]

ftr we get bullshit questions every once in a while in G's homework. not as much lately as in 3rd grade. i've told her to skip and talk to the teacher about it.

i've never met a teacher that is under the impression that i should be able to explain every little thing my kid is learning. either we've had awesome teachers or some parents take themselves WAY TOO SERIOUSLY.

[MrsAxilla]

Sept 22, 2015 9:25:58 GMT -5 wawa said:

Sept 22, 2015 9:11:44 GMT -5 kme said:

I hate Common Core but I would love to have my opinion change.

I cannot logically explain the math in the first picture. How does someone know to 5-2 + 3?

I'm not a math teacher.  And my kid isn't in school yet.  But from what I've seen I'm pro the new way of doing things, so i'll take a swing at it.

So the whole point of that particular aspect of common core math is to "make 10's" instead of treating numbers as immutable objects.  Most people can think in 10's easily.  Like 10+20 is easier in your head than 54+27.   And most people (even the memorization imparied like me) can hold in their head single digit combos up to 10 (eta: also fingers can help).  So what you want to do is break down the numbers until you find a pair that adds to 10, add up whatever's left and then you have an answer. 

there are actually multiple answers to this problem - either break up the 5 or break up the 8.  The very long winded thought process if you take the 5:  You have a 5.  You need another 5 to get 10.  Taking a 5 from an 8 leaves you with a 3.  So now you have a 10 and a 3.  So that's 13.   The teacher did it the other way around.

This is how I do math in my head - but I had to teach it to myself in my late 20's when I got tired of being the engineer who can't do simple math.  Obviously it goes much quicker than that since I don't have to say it in words, but I really do think it through like that - 8 and 5, k, so that's 10 and 3, 13.  Just adding 8 plus 5 as themselves is like trying to swallow a whole orange in one bite.  I can't do it.  My brain just gets stuck.  I have to break it into segments. 

One thing to keep in mind - if this teacher doesn't suck (which is not a foregone conclusion) this concept was both explained at length in class and instructions are provided elsewhere on the worksheet.  So even though it sounds stupid as a single question it should make sense taken as a whole.  Also It's not the kind of thing that the student should be expected to do forever and ever - the idea is that you learn this way of thinling of numbers - that they're flexible and breakable and can be shifted around as you want - and then the math going out from there gets easier. Instead of having to keep memorizing and keep memorizing you know how to play with the numbers to do what you need when you get to multiplication and division and exponents and so forth.

Yes, I wish I would have learned this.  Ben can do a string of numbers in his head with this method (like 8+5+6+3+7+9+3+4+3= X) and I'm over here checking his homework counting on my fucking fingers.  When my answer is different than his, I defer to him - lol.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I'm new to Common Core math (my oldest is in first grade), but I kind of love it. I was never great at math -- I did well in math classes, but it was because I was good at memorizing. I never really understood the concepts all that well. So I love that my kids will learn to actually understand the reasoning behind it.

The number line example above confuses me though. Hopefully my kid understands that without my help when they get there in class ;-)

[laurenpetro]

G's math teacher came right out on BTSN with "i'll tell you folks right now that i am a big fan of Common Core. i think it teaches math in a way that makes it useful in every aspect of education. i would greatly appreciate it if you didn't badmouth the cirriculum to your children as that undermines what we are doing in class."

i'm not going to lie, i swooned.

[mrspez07]

DS1 started math expressions with kindergarten last year and teaching basics, this totally makes sense, they are doing partners of 1, 2, etc. as well as the 10 groupings. I'm not sure it's going to make sense to me in a few years. I'm one of those people whose mind doesn't work this way, but it makes sense to DS, and we're lucky we've been in this since day 1 versus having to switch in 4th grade.

[laurenpetro]

i do think it helps a LOT if you've had it from 1st/2nd grade on. jumping in in 7th grade sets everyone up to fail.

[vlagrl]

my only fear is I won't be able to help DD with math when the time comes. I was great at all the Algebra classes, sucked at geometry and trig and really sucked at word problems.

[litebright]

Sept 22, 2015 9:33:04 GMT -5 KateAggie said:

I'm actually a fan of the "new math." And, at least at our school, it's taught as another way to get the result. I think it will really benefit the kids as concepts get harder, because it helps strip it down to the basics. And I say this as someone who has always, always struggled with math.

I agree. It helped that when DD1 was in first grade, one of the ways I volunteered was to tear math sheets out of their workbooks so teachers could hand out/send home separate sheets, so I basically got to look through an entire year of the math they were doing and took time to look through how it works and how it builds on itself. I think I would've had a very different experience of math if it had been taught like this, instead of focusing on memorization and how fast you could get through a sheet of addition/subtraction/etc. 

It's really more about math as building blocks, as a kind of language that you can manipulate and explore -- and I guarantee that that is more like how my physicist husband sees advanced math concepts.  

Also, my second grader is writing her own word problems. She knows all the 1+1=2 stuff, even if it's perhaps not quite as automatic as memorization at this point -- she still solves things like 7+8=15 -- but she can do crazy two-figure addition in her head. DH will ask her things like "What's 64 + 37?" when we're in the car going somewhere, and she makes tens and gets the right answer. Faster than I can. 

[Deleted]

My cousin posted this recently and it helped me understand a bit

www.mathplusacademy.com/heres-why-math-is-taught-differently-now/

[IIOY]

This stuff isn't complicated but like Lauren said, it helps if you start from the ground up rather than changing gears at, say, the fifth grade level.

I haven't read through the whole thread carefully so this may have already been said, but for those of you who are uncomfortable with math, my best recommendation is to work closely with your child on his/her math every day so that you are learning the "new" methods alongside your child. Not only will you feel more comfortable, you will be in a position to help your child when s/he needs help. I also suspect many of you will find that CC math actually makes a lot of sense and opens the door to alternative ways of thinking about math, rather than restricting your child (or you!) to a single method.

[laurenpetro]

Sept 22, 2015 10:12:09 GMT -5 IIOY said:

This stuff isn't complicated but like Lauren said, it helps if you start from the ground up rather than changing gears at, say, the fifth grade level.

I haven't read through the whole thread carefully so this may have already been said, but for those of you who are uncomfortable with math, my best recommendation is to work closely with your child on his/her math every day so that you are learning the "new" methods alongside your child. Not only will you feel more comfortable, you will be in a position to help your child when s/he needs help. I also suspect many of you will find that CC math actually makes a lot of sense and opens the door to alternative ways of thinking about math, rather than restricting your child (or you!) to a single method.

thankfully this was always my plan.  score! 

#sleptthroughschool

[anodyne]

The second one always bugs me when it comes up on FB. The question is where did he go wrong? The answer is he skipped 117 in his number line. Typical engineer*, over analyzing shit and making things harder than they have to be.

*Said with love from an architect

[alexis]

I agree with PPs that a lot of what I see in common core math is how I do arithmetic in my head and giving kids various ways to do something is a good thing.

The main criticism I see of common core is parents complaining that they don't understand it and therefore it must be a stupid or useless way to learn. I seriously side eye them. Deciding something is worthless just because you don't understand it is ignorant.

Also, people keep saying the way we learned math as kids is just fine and we don't need this newfangled math. Except, as a society, we suck at math, so clearly the old method isn't working.

[wawa]

Sept 22, 2015 10:22:01 GMT -5 anodyne said:

The second one always bugs me when it comes up on FB. The question is where did he go wrong? The answer is he skipped 117 in his number line. Typical engineer*, over analyzing shit and making things harder than they have to be.

*Said with love from an architect

I was about to take umbrage, but frankly it's true.