Time Article - What Teachers Hate about Parents (x-posted)

dragonlady wrote:

In article ,
Ericka Kammerer wrote:


- Jane bought a widget that costs $13.47. She gave the clerk $20.
How much did she get back in change? How do you know? (the last
to be answered in words, for which my son wanted to write "I know
because twenty dollars minus thirteen dollars and forty-seven cents
is six dollars and fifty-three cents.")

Was that the correct "written out" answer, or was there something else?

No, it was not what the teacher was looking for, but I
don't know what was.

Best wishes,
Ericka

In article ,
"Donna Metler" wrote:

If a child is already trying to decode written music, do NOT put them in
Suzuki! Suzuki deemphasizes reading to a greater extent than any other
teaching methodology. While this works for many students, if a child is
really interested in the language of music on paper, this will be
frustrating.

I know several students who started Suzuki at a very young age who have
become quite accomplished musicians. The music reading came later, but
they didn't have problems picking it up when it was time; they played
in their high school orchestras and in small enseble groups, and sight
read quite well.

I figure if people learn language by ear (ie, spoken language) early,
then learn the written language later, why can't music be taught the
same way? My kids grew up singing -- a LOT! -- and listening to music.
Then when they got older, they learned to read music. My younger
daughter, especially, could sight read music (singing) better than I
could by middle school.

(I am not a music teacher, or even a particularly accomplished musician
-- I sing, play the guitar badly, and can plunk out a tune on the piano.
This is just what makes logical sense to me.)
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:42:47 -0500, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

"Jane buys something for $12.35 and gives the clerk a $20
bill. How much change will she get. Explain." without
simply reiterating that 20-12.35 is 7.65 (which, by the
way, is not the correct answer, though I couldn't tell you
what they're fishing for).

Well, I have no idea what the *correct* answer is, certainly
your son's is one correct way. Another way might be
counting up from $12.35 to $20.00 which is the way that
I was taught to make change when I did it. You count.
as you hand back the change - (a dime - 45, a nickel
50, a quarter 75, another quarter $13.00, then more
singles $14, $15 and a $5 bill makes $20). Then you
can add the coins and the bills to get

$.10 + .05 + .25 +.25 + 2.00 + 5.00 = $7.65

There are other ways to figure this out, of course.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

In article ,
Rowley wrote:

There isn't a braille version of sheet music? huh, I would have
assumed there was.

Martin


As a matter of fact, there is -- but it's slow going, and takes a lot of
space.

A few months ago, a couple of us had an hilarious time trying to explain
what written music normally looks like to our blind (and musically
accomplished) friend. She has some pieces transcribed into Braille when
she's learning them, but for the most part learns by ear. When I've had
pieces I wanted her to sing, I sang them into a tape recorder (or played
them on the piano for her) and she figured out the chords from there.
She sings in a regular chorus, and sings at church in several languages
-- but says the Braille music can't be read fast enough to "sight" read.
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 07:58:45 -0600, "Donna Metler"
wrote:

And I think the
answer to a lot of homework problems is to do regular quizzes
on material covered by the homework, so that a student can
decide how much he/she needs to do to be able to get the
score they want on the quiz. I'd even suggest making the quiz
OPEN homework so that students who did it would have a
benefit.

I used to do this in Algebra I all the time. When the kids came
in the door, two of the homework problems were assigned as
an opening quiz of the day.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 12:02:46 GMT, Rowley
wrote:

While probably not on grade level - a teacher could read from
the book "Phantom Tollbooth", by Norton Juster. (one of my
favorite books)

http://www.eduplace.com/tview/pages/...on_Juster.html

Martin

That was the ONLY fiction book my ds loved.

He read it in 5th grade.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

On 28 Feb 2005 06:20:05 -0800, Banty wrote:

But it's not - at the least, the implementation fails. I think because
elementary school teachers are highly verbal.

I would agree with this which is why I think we need some
specialization at the elementary level with some teachers
actually concentrating in math and science.

I've seen some really good teachers who can do it all, but
not many.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

In article ,
Rowley wrote:

Long time ago - back in the early 80's I know of a blind
programmer. He used what looked like one of the old teletype
terminals (combination printer / keyboard) - and the printer
printed in a braille fashion.

Blind people aren't as limited as some people seem to think.

Martin


Much faster is something called a Braille-Mate. My friend's holds (I
think) 32 characters across. Picture something about the size of a
paper back book, but sideways, with several buttons on top (for writing
in Braille, plus some for navigating), and a row of holes along the
bottom, set in the 2x6 grids used in Braille. Each hole has a small peg
under it, that can be in either the up or down position. You can browse
the internet with it, do e-mail, read things you've downloaded into it
-- it's pretty cool. It is also a personal organizer, so she keeps her
calendar and phone numbers and addresses and all that stuff in it. She
wears it on a belt at her waiste. We send the order of worship for
services to our friend, she downloads it to her Braille-Mate, and can
follow along, including responsive readings, when she comes to church.
(She also has a copy of the hymnal in Braille, but it takes up two full
cartons -- and that's just the words. However, if she knows in advance
what we'll be singing, she brings those sheets with her and can join us;
if she doesn't already know the melody, she usually does by the second
verse.)
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

In article ,
Rowley wrote:


grin apparently you haven't experienced a discussion thread
with the people from k12.c.t - some of us can go off tangent at
the drop of a hat.

Martin

When did we switch to discussing geometry?
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

On 28 Feb 2005 05:06:38 -0800, Banty wrote:

Explore the number of types of regular pieces of different types
in a very orderly jigsaw puzzle. Draw all possible combinations
of pattern interlocks of pieces that are fundamentally rectangular
with tabs, including edge pieces. (Puzzle would be provided -
number of pieces would depend on the age and grade of the
students).

?? That's drawing.

Yes, but they would need to write about how they decided they
had found all possible combinations. I should have included that.

But on the other examples, what learning comes from them?
Other than to inject writing into every subject.

When you can explain something to another person, you often
learn more about your own processes and what you actually have
learned.

One of the things that the Japanese do well in mathematics is
having the kids find answers to problems that are challenging
and presenting their solutions to the class including their
reasoning. They do this in the primary grades.

Banty


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits