The way they are teaching math now is interesting

[Crazyhole]

Just got off the telephone with my brother and his son was trying to explain to both of us how you can take 4- 4s and come up with any number between 0 and 20.

Can anyone here use those 4 4s and get to 19? It's pretty tough but possible.

 

[sk8knight]

Just got off the telephone with my brother and his son was trying to explain to both of us how you can take 4- 4s and come up with any number between 0 and 20.

Can anyone here use those 4 4s and get to 19? It's pretty tough but possible.

4! - 4 - 4/4 = 19

Not sure what the point is other than a novelty.

 

[Crazyhole]

4! - 4 - 4/4 = 19

Not sure what the point is other than a novelty.

It's a good thought experiment.

4x4 + 4 - (2÷2). Kind of cool that 12 year old kids are being pushed to this level. Not sure about the factorial stuff because I don't see application for that in real life.

 

[sk8knight]

It's a good thought experiment.

4x4 + 4 - (2÷2). Kind of cool that 12 year old kids are being pushed to this level. Not sure about the factorial stuff because I don't see application for that in real life.

I guess it provides an interesting way to manipulate numbers that we didn’t get growing up. I don’t know that I did much with factorials until discrete mathematics for Computer Science. It’s used in determining permutations, which have practical applications and are also used in algebra and calculus. But I don’t remember seeing them until senior year, if then. Maybe they’ve pushed the curriculum since.

 

[goodknightfl]

great, but they still can't make change

 

[UCFBS]

We used to do this stuff in MathCounts by the NSPE et al. (Wikipedia article) back in middle school. It's sad we don't try to use such creativity to reach kids, especially since engineering societies encourage such for a reason.

 

[DaShuckster]

great, but they still can't make change

Make change?

You're showing your age, goodknightfl.

 

[Crazyhole]

Here's another one that's kind of fun. I vaguely remember discussing it in college.

 

[UCFBS]

great, but they still can't make change

Make change?

You're showing your age, goodknightfl.

And yet it's still a real skill that tests a real ability that has real applicability because ... tada ... kids actually have to work with money.

Working with money and coins: Why some kids struggle with it

Learn why counting money is so hard for some kids and how to help with money math. Find out why counting coins can be especially hard.

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