vibrantabyss

A friend who is teaching was explaining the new "Common Core" way to teaching math, because it is "easier and more intuitive".  An actual 1st grade example taught to teachers follows:

32 - 12 = ?

Old way:

  32
- 12
--------
  20

two from two is zero, one from three is two

New way:

 12 + 3 = 15 (why?  because 5s are easier?)
 15 + 5 = 20  (why? because we go to 10s)
 20 + 10 = 30 (why?  because we go BY 10s, more is too hard for a 1st grader)
 30 + 2 = 32 (why?  because adding 1 and one again would be just silly?)

then add up all those magically picked numbers to the right of the pluses..... 3 + 5 +10 + 2 = 8 + 12 = 20 which is your answer.  QED?!?

This is how math is now being taught in America.  Or at least "common core" states.

Anyone want to invest in yuan, or euros, or yen?

I wish tags could be done in STRIKEOUT font, so I could add humor as a tag...