political correctness and communication

[AmberLF]

1 minute ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

I still don't know why I had to suffer through any of it.  Even then, nobody gave me a reason regarding real application to anything.

Basics, yes, you can't cook without juggling numbers... or balance a checkbook properly... but for the majority of the more complicated maths... You'd have to be in a scientific field to need it. There are a few others, architect comes to mind, computer programing seems to need it (my son is on the programing path) to start. I have a friend who majored in maths and she gave me the rundown once years ago. My head nearly exploded. She, luckily had mercy and spared me the full distance she could go with it. Trust me, I think she became the nearest thing to a demi-god to me for that act alone.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

27 minutes ago, AmberLF said:

Basics, yes, you can't cook without juggling numbers... or balance a checkbook properly... but for the majority of the more complicated maths... You'd have to be in a scientific field to need it. There are a few others, architect comes to mind, computer programing seems to need it (my son is on the programing path) to start. I have a friend who majored in maths and she gave me the rundown once years ago. My head nearly exploded. She, luckily had mercy and spared me the full distance she could go with it. Trust me, I think she became the nearest thing to a demi-god to me for that act alone.

 

A practical application is walking into a grocery store and making a simple purchase.

 

A 25 cent bag of chips is half an ounce.    (4/8)

 

A 50 cent bag of chips is 7/8 of an ounce.  (7/8)

 

People can't do a simple doubling and see that they are being cheated out of 1/8 ounce.  Our schools have failed us.  I don't mean higher math.  I mean basic survival math.

[AmberLF]

2 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

A practical application is walking into a grocery store and making a simple purchase.

 

A 25 cent bag of chips is half an ounce.    (4/8)

 

A 50 cent bag of chips is 7/8 of an ounce.  (7/8)

 

People can't do a simple doubling and see that they are being cheated out of 1/8 ounce.  Our schools have failed us.  I don't mean higher math.  I mean basic survival math.

Certainly agree there. Part of it is in understanding the different ways people learn. Part of it is being more concerned with figures and test rather than the students themselves and what they are learning, or on what is actually needed. I've been saying for years the whole system needs an overhaul. It's too widely spread in ideas of what should be taught district by district, state by state. I don't see it getting much better with that DeVey, DeVoy, whatever her name is in charge at the federal level now. 

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

Betsy DeVos.  Brace yourself.  She wants Creationism taught in science class.  

[RevBogovac]

18 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

Betsy DeVos.  Brace yourself.  She wants Creationism taught in science class.  

 

Boy, have we wandered "off-topic"...

 

But can we please, PLEASE, open up a new one discussing just "what's wrong with that?" 

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

2 minutes ago, RevBogovac said:

 

Boy, have we wandered "off-topic"...

 

But can we please, PLEASE, open up a new one discussing just "what's wrong with that?" 

 

We were discussing the follies of American Education.

Genesis is not a Science text.  If we teach Genesis as a Science text, it will weaken American science education.

It will also open up American Education to world wide ridicule.  Rightfully so.  

 

That is what is wrong with that.

[cuchulain]

That's a real boring science class, but an easy a.  "Now kids, how did trees begin?  God did it.  Now kids, how does it rain?  God did it..." Of course, for those who don't believe, they simply fail I suppose.  At least, if they give an honest answer.

[kokigami]

On 7/17/2017 at 8:24 AM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

 

I still don't know why I had to suffer through any of it.  Even then, nobody gave me a reason regarding real application to anything.

I once felt that way, but I have come to the conclusion that, those who understand math rule the world. I do regret ignoring it in my academic career. In part because now, as I consider turning a two year degree into a four year degree, I am being blocked by my innumeracy. And in part because data crunching is about math, and data crunching is how one comes to understand truth.

12 hours ago, cuchulain said:

That's a real boring science class, but an easy a.  "Now kids, how did trees begin?  God did it.  Now kids, how does it rain?  God did it..." Of course, for those who don't believe, they simply fail I suppose.  At least, if they give an honest answer.

There is an arguement to be made that, for most peoples lives, these answers are accurate enough, just as many believe that knowing only basic math is enough. I don't agree with those arguements, but I can see them.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

A joke:

 

"There are thee kinds of people.

 

Those who understand math

 

And those who don't."

 

  

[Rev. Calli]

Greetings to you all my sisters and brothers,

 

When I was in high school, I didn't like most of my classes, and my grades showed it.  While I would occasionally get an A, most of my grades were C's and B's, and to my parent's dismay a few somewhat lower.  Looking back, I think most of the problem was the way the classes were taught.   I learn best by doing, and not having somebody lecture me.  

 

That all being said, I have been very surprised in my adult life about how useful many of the classes I had taken in high school turned out to be.  History, social studies, English, speech, business math, typing, all have been very useful in the careers I have followed in my adult life.  Surprisingly, for about 7 years I had a job where I even found geometry useful.  

 

I am very glad that during my years in school (keep in mind this was the early 1970's), none of my science teachers ever insisted on teaching what we call Creationism now.  Since most of the core concepts of Creationism turn the physical sciences on their heads (for example, disregarding what we have learned thru archeology and carbon dating about the true age of the world) at the very least it would have been very confusing to me, and I suspect lead me to reject what science teaches as false.  Our teachers did talk about what different faith systems taught about the creation of the world, but they were always very careful to label these teachings for what they are, matters of faith taught by different religions and not provable by science. 

 

When my children were old enough to go to school, both my wife and I resisted the temptation to enroll our children in one of the many private schools that had sprung up in the Milwaukee area, due to Wisconsin's adoption of the school voucher system. We didn't want our children indoctrinated in the fundamentalist and anti-science beliefs taught in most of these schools, as we wanted them both to understand modern science, and be able to distinguish between what faith teaches, and what science teaches. 

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

3 hours ago, Rev. Calli said:

Greetings to you all my sisters and brothers,

 

When I was in high school, I didn't like most of my classes, and my grades showed it.  While I would occasionally get an A, most of my grades were C's and B's, and to my parent's dismay a few somewhat lower.  Looking back, I think most of the problem was the way the classes were taught.   I learn best by doing, and not having somebody lecture me.  

 

That all being said, I have been very surprised in my adult life about how useful many of the classes I had taken in high school turned out to be.  History, social studies, English, speech, business math, typing, all have been very useful in the careers I have followed in my adult life.  Surprisingly, for about 7 years I had a job where I even found geometry useful.  

 

I am very glad that during my years in school (keep in mind this was the early 1970's), none of my science teachers ever insisted on teaching what we call Creationism now.  Since most of the core concepts of Creationism turn the physical sciences on their heads (for example, disregarding what we have learned thru archeology and carbon dating about the true age of the world) at the very least it would have been very confusing to me, and I suspect lead me to reject what science teaches as false.  Our teachers did talk about what different faith systems taught about the creation of the world, but they were always very careful to label these teachings for what they are, matters of faith taught by different religions and not provable by science. 

 

When my children were old enough to go to school, both my wife and I resisted the temptation to enroll our children in one of the many private schools that had sprung up in the Milwaukee area, due to Wisconsin's adoption of the school voucher system. We didn't want our children indoctrinated in the fundamentalist and anti-science beliefs taught in most of these schools, as we wanted them both to understand modern science, and be able to distinguish between what faith teaches, and what science teaches. 

 

In solidarity,

Rev. Calli

 

 

If more Christians had your regard for Science -- climate change denial would not be the problem that it is.  

[LeopardBoy]

I attended a Catholic school, where we had Mass in the school chapel every Wednesday morning, and began each class with a reading from the Bible.  I was taught evolution in science class and biblical creation as myth and metaphor in religion class.  I was also taught Classical myth over three years in Latin class, though sadly I have barely retained the language due to lack of use.  I'm grateful to my parents for paying for my education, and giving me an opportunity I might not have gotten attending the local city school.

 

I have also yet to find a use for knowledge of math beyond the most basic algebra in my life outside of school.

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

5 hours ago, LeopardBoy said:

I attended a Catholic school, where we had Mass in the school chapel every Wednesday morning, and began each class with a reading from the Bible.  I was taught evolution in science class and biblical creation as myth and metaphor in religion class.  I was also taught Classical myth over three years in Latin class, though sadly I have barely retained the language due to lack of use.  I'm grateful to my parents for paying for my education, and giving me an opportunity I might not have gotten attending the local city school.

 

I have also yet to find a use for knowledge of math beyond the most basic algebra in my life outside of school.

 

Alright.  What do you think of Bible mythology?  You must have made comparisons.  

[cuchulain]

I guess I am the nerd, eh?  I found a use for Math outside of school, for entertainment purposes.  I played Dungeons and Dragons, and Math was useful in determining the formulas for the charts used in the books so I no longer needed to reference the books as often.  The shame, the shame...

[Jonathan H. B. Lobl]

2 hours ago, cuchulain said:

I guess I am the nerd, eh?  I found a use for Math outside of school, for entertainment purposes.  I played Dungeons and Dragons, and Math was useful in determining the formulas for the charts used in the books so I no longer needed to reference the books as often.  The shame, the shame...

 

I used to enjoy that game.  It can be a lot of fun with the right group.