sanityisrelative (July 26, 2008 at 9:21 am)

i think the methods from the everyday mathematics curriculm are good starting blocks, the partial products method does seem to teach place value better than the standard method. if they are going to teach a method that is so similar to the standard method, i don't see why they can't teach the standard methods after they teach the partial products and partial quotients methods. fostering a dependance on calculators just isn't benificial to anyone in the long run.~

uopixchen (July 25, 2008 at 9:48 am)

lmao agreed Lol, meh paretns were taught that way ._.

PHUNNIBONE (July 25, 2008 at 4:10 am)

We need an emphasis on both math and English. Too many kids do not know how to make change, much less be able to figure out cost/unit at a store. And, if they can't do that, where are our mathematicians and scientists, not to mention many other jobs, which require math? Stalin was emphasizing language skills, but math is very important.

zaidynkaen (July 25, 2008 at 1:43 am)

Although I was taught the standard algorithm in school, my brain works through math problems so quickly that I don't have time to write it out. I use the cluster method exclusively. It's much faster and more efficient, and if I need to double check I can us the standard algorithm (although usually I don't).I got a 4 on my AP test.

T961585 (July 24, 2008 at 10:20 am)

The most efficient way to learn math is the Asian method as taught by my teachers. All you need is a pencil, paper and ruler.It's very simple. Memorize the multiplication tables and use the standard algorithm until you can do it in your sleep. Any students that complain about it get smacked with the ruler....

trappy77 (July 22, 2008 at 9:15 pm)

I do not see a problem with teaching by cluster problems. I work with electricity and motor voltage, amperage, wattage, resistances. I was taught the standard algorithm. I have often wondered why the cluster way was not taught to me when I was a child, because I find it is much faster. I actually thought it was just my own way until I watched this video.

sleeper2345 (July 21, 2008 at 10:55 pm)

What an embarrassing video. Doesn't McDermott recognize that the partial products algorithm is similar to how she learned to multiply (x+2)(x+3)? Why would we listen to someone who is obviously an mathematics illiterate?

LongcatRevolution (July 21, 2008 at 4:39 pm)

No, they don't allow one because they want to make sure you can do it on your own.

ariemcinco (July 21, 2008 at 8:01 am)

Learning mathematics in a complicated way somehow discourages learning to occur. Presentation of mathematics lessons must be practical and easy. Knowing that most people have this untoward attitude to the subject matter. This is how i learned math in high school and it was so frustrating to know that of all the complicated formula that my teacher presented on how to solve a mathematical problem, nothing has practically worked well for me. Though I know it is always a case to case bases.

cyyoung42 (July 21, 2008 at 7:07 am)

I'm not trying to blame the teachers. I am a teacher. I am however blaming the districts. These types of curriculum are totally different than the way the teachers learned math. Elementary teachers are not math experts, so to throw them into a completely foreign situation and expect good results is absurd. In addition, the students can sense the frustration of the teachers, thus compounding the problem. These types of curriculum require lots of specialized training if you expect good results.