Reply to 23 Baltimore City Schools Have Zero Students Proficient in Math

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Here's another example of a third grade math problem kids are bombing:

https://nj.digitalitemlibrary.com/home?subject=Math&grades=Grade%203&view=CCSS&itemUIN=0190-M01039P

Part A

Ms. Williams asked Carlos and Sara to show different ways to find the value of this expression:

4×2×3

Carlos decided to multiply 2×3 first.

Which expression shows what Carlos should multiply next to find the correct value of 4×2×3?

A.	4×2
B.	4×3
C.	4×5	
D.	4×6

Part B
Sara explained the way she found the value of 4×2×3 as follows:

Multiply 4×2. 
Multiply 4×3.
Add the two products.

Sara made a mistake. Describe Sara’s mistake.

What is the correct value of 4×2×3?

Enter your answer and your description in the space provided.[/quote]

That last sentence is all that should be in there. Why the F do I need to explain someone else’s mistake?[/quote]

To prove that you actually know how multiplication works and that you aren't just blindly following a rote procedure. We have calculators for that.[/quote]

Then take away the calculator and put 20 of these questions on the test. They will still take less time to solve than understanding this convoluted problem[/quote]
If a student can solve 20 x*y questions but not a single real-world multiplication problem, that's frankly quite useless. They wouldn't be able to do anything that an uneducated person with a calculator could. I'd rather have my kid be able to solve a real-world problem with a calculator.[/quote]
It's not useless. That fact knowledge is the base for kids tackling higher level problems down the road. But because today's math spends so much time on mental math figuring out products instead of memorizing them, kids never become automatic with their facts. You can't combine and reduce fractions easily if you have to spend additional time mentally calculating their factors; kids will get frustrated and just give up. We have spellcheckers and yet we still teach kids how to spell.[/quote]

We need to teach BOTH rote memorization and conceptual understanding. As the "how old is the shepherd?" word problem video shows, there will always be some kids who can do the former without being able to do that latter.[/quote]

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