Posts by skeeter1

1) Employment skills. How to find a job, write a resume, fill out a job application, job interview skills, Myers-Briggs career/personality match, etc.

One dude I know needs a job. He's 21. He wrote that he had no transportation on his job application because he didn't have a car. He forgot that his mom would drive him to work until he could buy a car. Obviously, all that rogue memorization of overly complicated math skills hindered his ability to think.

2) Financal skills. How to write a check, balance a checkbook, log ATMs, Uniform Commercial Code law (checks/banking laws), loans, interest rates, amortization schedules, missed payments, bankruptcy basics, investing, retirement planning, read the stock page, buy/sell stocks, bond markets, global markets, commodities (buy lithium, by the way).

3) Family skills. Requirements of marraige licenses, care of children (including child support), divorce, alimony (did you know that Florida is going to put a bill in Tallahassee banning lifetime alimony....that's going to have some social changes),

4) Court/legal areas. DUIs, contracts, Bill of Rights, torts, etc.

5) Medical skills. First aid, CPR, healthy living, exercise, STDs, social issues of teen pregnancy, etc.

.....

Reminds me of a song, "When I think back to all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all."

36

No Child Left Behind Testing

by skeeter1 in

around the us, 6th graders (and alot of other grades) are preparing for this spring's standardized testing.

when "we" grew up, the standardized tests were straigh forward math problems.

the standardized math test is now only 16 questions long, but they are all long, drawn out word problems.

skeeter1

Where will they go beyond? Good question for the select few that make it to this level. If they are engineers, we will have space flight and trips to Jupiter.

But for the most part, classical math education needs to be rethought. Most people don't need this higher level of math. I've forgotten almost everything I learned because I don't use it. I remember the basics behind all the calculus and beyond, but ask me to explain something (like Fisher's theorem) and I couldn't do it on the fly.

What people need is to know financial/budgeting/management & report analysis type math. Congressmen need to learn that Revenues less Expenditures should be a positive, surplus number or zero, rarely a negative. Perhaps the standardized tests should start with Congress. They obviously don't know basic math.

I, too, have an accounting degree. I didn't want to calculate people's death rates, be limited in my employment, and liked the mixture of law with math. But, I should have went into computer programming. I could kick myself.

Skeeter

13

Avoiding Homelessness

by magotan in

i'm falling apart here.

the false teachings of the jw enrage me; we started covering the information for the jeremiah book, and i was outraged at how they twist up the scriptures to meet what they want to say.

my dad wants to consider the "god's love" book during family worship evening.

skeeter1

Talk to the college guidance counselors. They might have a safety net for you.

I talked to one recently, and they did have programs for kids in your situation. They found them campus jobs, super reduced tuition (employee based), help with student loans, scholarships, and housing. Please, don't be shy with the fact that you are coming out of a cult that shuns for independent thought. Tell them that you are a trapped JW. Show the counselors the WTS and AWAKE literature on college & shunning.

Skeeter

36

No Child Left Behind Testing

by skeeter1 in

around the us, 6th graders (and alot of other grades) are preparing for this spring's standardized testing.

when "we" grew up, the standardized tests were straigh forward math problems.

the standardized math test is now only 16 questions long, but they are all long, drawn out word problems.

skeeter1

Finally Awake,

I graduated in 1986. I had a very similar experience. My first time at multi-step dissection of math problems was 9th grade geometry when we learned proofs. Before that, it was simple one to two steps in a problem.

I graduated High School with AP Physics - passed. Won an award at a physics competition for all of South Florida for building the bridge with the hghest load and length ratings. Got one of the highest ACT scores in science in Palm Beach County. I was told I would get a full scholarship to Boston University's engineering school (by a BU recruiter), but passed it up becase of the Truth (couldn't go to college & leave home & wouldn't disobey my parents).

In college in Skeeterville, I took Calculus I, II, III, and IV. Differential Equations, Matrix Theory, Statistics 1 & 2 (calculus based, with Masters students) and passed my first actuary exam . . . . all by the time I was 21 years old. Honor Society in college. Tutored in the math lab, teaching alot of nursing students.

Could I have done this problem in the 6th grade? If someone had drilled it into me, I suppose I could have done it. Sort of like how we robotically did those talks as kids. All rogue memorization with no independent reasoning.

Skeeter,

Geek with a Southern Accent.

36

No Child Left Behind Testing

by skeeter1 in

around the us, 6th graders (and alot of other grades) are preparing for this spring's standardized testing.

when "we" grew up, the standardized tests were straigh forward math problems.

the standardized math test is now only 16 questions long, but they are all long, drawn out word problems.

skeeter1

1970's. Palm Beach County, Florida. Couldn't get any HIGHER tax dollars or better education then I had from a public school. We didn't do these type of problems, until high school.

Not good for a standardized test. Not a good gauge of what skill a child knows. I could see this type of question as an add-on, to separate the exceptional students. But, not for ALL the students.

This is why the teachers "teach" to the test. They drill the kids before, the kids memorize the steps, take the test, forget the steps, and little "education" has occurred. I have meetings with the teachers. One math teacher was jumping around the subject areas. I asked why? Becuase they cover "breadth" of material, not depth. Before, we did 30 fraction problems for 30 days to "cement" how to do it. Now, it's a few days of fractions, then off to another topic.

I remember in Kindergarten, she was in private school. She had math class. It was 8 + 2 = ?. It was 10 of these questions a week (2 a night) for homework. It was clicking. She was doing ok in math. She took the SAT for Kindergarten and scored well in math for that age group.

Then, the first day of the first grade, she went to public. Her first day of homework was "12 is the difference between 18 and what number." I complained, and the teacher said, "We're teaching to the test in the 3rd grade. We show them alot of concepts they will not get right now. But, it makes it easier in the next grade when they've seen it before. The third grade wll be her first standardized test" So, I bit my tongue. In about 2 weeks, my daughter came home saying that she hated math and felt stupid. It's been a long battle road. Now, I look at public school as getting her basics, and then I reteach (homeschool) her at night in alot of these subjects.

I have to be my child's biggest advocate. My child has a mild learning disability; that she is growing out of now that she is maturing. It takes alot of blood, sweat, and tears to keep her at grade levels. You insult me with "Doing her a disservice." Becuase if you only knew how much I work with the teachers and school to get her an education. In the third grade, she read at 1st grade levels. Her "brain" ddn't get it and she has always panicked. We pulled every reading "trick" from hearing impaired on the television to reading comprehension drills to reading restaurant menus & cereal boxes to private tutors. Now, she's at the 9th grade reading level. She's read many books - about 3 a month. Divergent, Legend, and Specials are what she's read lately. She reads all the time. Her brain developed in that area. Same thing with math. In the 1st grade, she didn't know that 10 was more then 7. She said that becuase 7 was closer to 1 and 1 was the best number, that 7 had to be the better (larger number). Her brain is developing. Now, she can do all of this as a single problem with one item in it. But, it's not at this level yet of deductive reasoning. And, these tests are super discouraging for her. So, your wife's "one size fits all" mentality just gets my knickers in a wad.

I really feel for the parents who do not have the means or ability to help thier kids. I think this is part of the reason there is a large drop out rate.

The college freshman, are they "No Child Left Behind" prodigy? OMG, just wait until they hit your class. I'd like to be a fly on that wall.

Skeeter

24

Hard Wood Floors

by MrFreeze in

does anybody have any tips on keeping hard-wood floors clean?

seems like 10 minutes after i clean them they are a mess again.

at least with carpet it was harder to notice all the little doodads that wind up on the floor.

skeeter1

Bona mops and cleaners

36

No Child Left Behind Testing

by skeeter1 in

around the us, 6th graders (and alot of other grades) are preparing for this spring's standardized testing.

when "we" grew up, the standardized tests were straigh forward math problems.

the standardized math test is now only 16 questions long, but they are all long, drawn out word problems.

skeeter1

Thank you Berengaria!

No Child Left Behind - Another Bush failed idea.

36

No Child Left Behind Testing

by skeeter1 in

around the us, 6th graders (and alot of other grades) are preparing for this spring's standardized testing.

when "we" grew up, the standardized tests were straigh forward math problems.

the standardized math test is now only 16 questions long, but they are all long, drawn out word problems.

skeeter1

Yes, finding the area of a trapezoid is a standard 6th grade learning skill. As is circumference and area of a circle. So, why not have 1 question on finding the area of a trapezoid. TEst that ONE concept ONLY, in ONE question. Then, you'd isolate if the kid had that skill.

But, throwing in ALL of these steps is testing deductive reasoning, and alot of kids can't do that at this age.