Re: Math is not a memoriter course.

In article <1187966095.414568.184130@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
<aatu.koskensilta@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Someone wrote:
Do they really believe that it could possibly do more harm to the
student than would be done over a lifetime by not knowing the single
digit multiplication facts?

Why do they have to know the single digit multiplication
facts? I often do base 16 computations, and I have made
no attempt to memorize its multiplication table.

In fact, one the touted methods of teaching, Chisenbop,
only assumes that multiplication by 1, 2, 5, and 10 are
memorized, and uses the distributive law for the rest.
Since multiplying by 5 is essentially dividing by 2,
not too much has to be learned. But the only thing
gained by learning tables is speed; why do we not have
children memorize the tables to 100 or 1000?

I have no idea where you get the idea that children aren't taught the
multiplication table. I also find I have not been horribly harmed by
not knowing the multiplication table.

See the above. Napier's "bones" were devices for people
who could add but not multiply. But computers and calculators
are even faster.

There are real problems with mathematics education today -- some quite
widespread, some specific to certain countries --, and it would be
more sensible to concentrate on those, instead of ranting on imaginary
ills.

Students do not understand any of te concepts involved
with the integers, and cannot formulate problems. This
is FAR more important than knowing how to solve standard
problems; anything which is learned about solving problems
below the graduate level can NOW be done by machine.

--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
.

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