Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[sharron]

Need to rant..

Does high school no longer teach basic math skills..

I stopped at turkey hill for gas, wanted to use cash instead of plastic, the clerk screwed up putting the amount of cash in and could not figure out how to fix it, then she grabbed the calculator and still screwed up cause I got an extra dollar change, yea I kept my mouth shut..

Then just awhile ago I went to giants and used cash to pay a bill of $10.97...I did not have any tens but I had a twenty and a one ( I didn't want a bunch of one's back ) .. the clerk punched in .21 instead, and again could not figure this out, called the manager over and they still screwed it up, when I honestly told them that they gave me to much change, they had to call yet another person to bring a calculator...

Needless to say, I walked out of there just shaking my head and wondering what society will be like in another 20 years

End of rant..

Back to the regularly scheduled chicken talk.

you just found this out? i've known this for many years, unless they have a computer cash register that tells them how much change to return, they don't have a clue, i went thru the same thing about seven years ago but like a dummy i stood there telling the girl she gave me too much money back, i could have gotten a free carton of cigerettes and a 24 pack of coke for free(yeah i smoked at the time) but being raised the way i was, i pointed it out and like you, had to go thru three people til i found someone who could add and substract.

 

[sharron]

Welcome from west central! lots of folks on here to help you find anything you never knew you needed! LOL


It is sad how often I have to explain to cashiers why I gave them $21 or $16 or whatever odd combination I use to avoid getting a bunch of ones back... yardsales are a disaster when someone younger is working the money box. I don't understand why schools aren't required to offer a class called 'daily living'... where common sense issues are taught!
I like this answer!

maybe because the younger ones have no common sense? seems like common sense has been bred right out of them.
like ron white says, you can't fix stupid

 

[dheltzel]

you just found this out? i've known this for many years, unless they have a computer cash register that tells them how much change to return, they don't have a clue, i went thru the same thing about seven years ago but like a dummy i stood there telling the girl she gave me too much money back, i could have gotten a free carton of cigerettes and a 24 pack of coke for free(yeah i smoked at the time) but being raised the way i was, i pointed it out and like you, had to go thru three people til i found someone who could add and substract.

The reason businesses use computerized systems for retail is because they don't trust their employees to get it right (good call). I've observed that people who "aren't good at math" simply don't trust themselves to get the right answer. I don't believe it's anything more than that for many people. Maybe some laziness, but that affects all of us, when I have to deal with large numbers, I use a calculator too because it's not worth my time to do it in my head. Not that there aren't tricks to learn (or figure out on your own) of course, but I believe confidence is the big thing.

Just my .002% of $100

 

[dheltzel]

All:

Some math stuff...

A numbers game..... http://www.live-sudoku.com/sudoku-online

and for Blarney, this is what you are looking for......

http://www.mathsisfun.com/pythagoras.html

geez, I'm turning into a thread hog being preachy about math...


PS:

LMP, she's quite a cutie!

stake, that's mean, sending blarney off to figure out the Pythagorean theory!

Construction slopes for roofs (unlike other things like grading soil) are usually represented in inches per ft, rather than angles. That makes the height of the eaves rather simple to calculate. For ex, if is says to do 8 inches per 10 ft, then you want (8 / 10 =) .8 ft per ft (horizontal width from eave to ridge). If you are making a 24ft wide coop and have the ridge in the middle, divide by 2 (12) and multiply by the .8 to get 9.6 inches taller at the ridge than the eaves. Make it 10 inches, precision isn't needed here. For coops, you might not be making it level, but these calcs assume that, so you might be able to reduce to account for the slope already on the coop.

For figuring how long the roof will be, technically you need to computer the hypotenuse and all, but you want some overhang and material comes in standard sizes you may been to cut, so just add the height (10 inches) to the width (12 ft per side) and round up. If the roofing only comes in 12 and 14 ft and you don't want a seam (because you're lazy like me), the math says you should reduce the 12 ft to 11 or increase it to 13 (quick recheck - 13 x .8 = 10.4 inches).

What I always loved about word problems like this is that common sense self-checks you math. If you think about the structure, it makes sense that a 12 ft panel can't cover a 12 ft roof if you intend to raise one side up, even an inch. and if decimal points frustrate you check the 9.6 against the alternatives, does .96 or 96 inches make sense in the context? Common sense when constructing something is better than precise plans any day, of course both might be optimal.

 

[barbiegirl]

I don't know anything about those particular plants..like if they need anything special, but generally you can , for temporary purposes, plant to cover roots..don't pack/tamp dirt...keep watered, do not allow to dry out, BUT don't over water..I have been known to "over-love" a plant or two...or a whole flat of seedlings

....

**Everyone talking about "making change"....if the register doesn't "tell" them what to give you back, people are helpless. Not just the younger set either...we have become so used to just pushing buttons to get the answers....I am really "dating " myself now, but when my girls were in school (3-5 years ago)...the teachers would give students calculators to take home to do the math problems/homework...yeah, don't really learn to add-subtract-divide..etc...on your own..just punch in the numbers and walla! The amazing thing about that whole "idea" is that some students still failed

..really?!...so sad for everyone...JMHO

***GR Chicks..sorry for your loss, do you think she was trying to get a drink and fell in?...you would think she would have been able to get out, but I guess if the water is too deep...sorry.

***evroman- Hello & Welcome

..if you can't find it here..they don't make it!

...

Having fun watching the granddaughter tonight!

Not chicken related cuteness...



she is running now...hahaha making it very interesting keeping up! We are watching hockey and she is very happy the penguins are winning!!

She is a cutie. Look at the smile!

As a teenager I worked at the Englishtown flea market for about 6 years. I had to add and subtract in my head on the spot. No time to try to figure it out with a calculator. The easiest way to give change for me was to count back, example the total was $6 and someone would give me a $10 I would say to the customer, 7, 8, 9, 10 as I handed them their change. That way they could see how much change they got and hear it so everyone was happy.

I am excited today. I have 3 pips going on in my incubator. Tomorrow was the due date. I can't wait to see what my banty Polish (white crested black) and my large fowl golden laced roo chick will look like. Yup that egg is one of the first to pip with a big hole!



And my Polish mix

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I received currants and gooseberry plants in the mail................you know they come as dormant plants that basically look like sticks with roots.

I don't have the spot in the garden ready for them.............so after a few days of them just being indoors.............I decided to soak their roots for a day and plant them in containers for a short time.

then transplant them to their desired location............as soon as I can. 

do you think they will be able to handle this process?

Ideally they should have gone into their permanent location right away.......................but..........life and energy and weather etc..................

any advice----------

I dug out currants last year from my aunts property. After a 5 hour drive in plastic bag, I plopped them in some bad clay soil next to our fence. At least two of the plants took and are coming out of dormancy now. This is just to encourage you that they are tough little suckers!

stake, that's mean, sending blarney off to figure out the Pythagorean theory!

Construction slopes for roofs (unlike other things like grading soil) are usually represented in inches per ft, rather than angles. That makes the height of the eaves rather simple to calculate. For ex, if is says to do 8 inches per 10 ft, then you want (8 / 10 =) .8 ft per ft (horizontal width from eave to ridge). If you are making a 24ft wide coop and have the ridge in the middle, divide by 2 (12) and multiply by the .8 to get 9.6 inches taller at the ridge than the eaves. Make it 10 inches, precision isn't needed here. For coops, you might not be making it level, but these calcs assume that, so you might be able to reduce to account for the slope already on the coop.

For figuring how long the roof will be, technically you need to computer the hypotenuse and all, but you want some overhang and material comes in standard sizes you may been to cut, so just add the height (10 inches) to the width (12 ft per side) and round up. If the roofing only comes in 12 and 14 ft and you don't want a seam (because you're lazy like me), the math says you should reduce the 12 ft to 11 or increase it to 13 (quick recheck - 13 x .8 = 10.4 inches).

What I always loved about word problems like this is that common sense self-checks you math. If you think about the structure, it makes sense that a 12 ft panel can't cover a 12 ft roof if you intend to raise one side up, even an inch. and if decimal points frustrate you check the 9.6 against the alternatives, does .96 or 96 inches make sense in the context? Common sense when constructing something is better than precise plans any day, of course both might be optimal.

Seriously! You are a wealth of information! Thank you!

 

[SilkieSensation]

Need to rant.. Does high school no longer teach basic math skills.. I stopped at turkey hill for gas, wanted to use cash instead of plastic, the clerk screwed up putting the amount of cash in and could not figure out how to fix it, then she grabbed the calculator and still screwed up cause I got an extra dollar change, yea I kept my mouth shut.. Then just awhile ago I went to giants and used cash to pay a bill of $10.97...I did not have any tens but I had a twenty and a one ( I didn't want a bunch of one's back ) .. the clerk punched in .21 instead, and again could not figure this out, called the manager over and they still screwed it up, when I honestly told them that they gave me to much change, they had to call yet another person to bring a calculator... Needless to say, I walked out of there just shaking my head and wondering what society will be like in another 20 years End of rant.. Back to the regularly scheduled chicken talk.

I went through all of the advanced math courses in high school, then more in college & ended up with an accounting certificate. I still have trouble helping my daughter with her math. They have her doing algebra in 4th grade when she hasn't mastered multiplication & dividion yet. How the heck can these kids find square roots when they can't multiply & divide yet??? They have my 4th grader doing stuff I didn't learn until 8th grade & I was a year ahead of most & was in the advanced math classes.

Need to rant.. Does high school no longer teach basic math skills.. I stopped at turkey hill for gas, wanted to use cash instead of plastic, the clerk screwed up putting the amount of cash in and could not figure out how to fix it, then she grabbed the calculator and still screwed up cause I got an extra dollar change, yea I kept my mouth shut.. Then just awhile ago I went to giants and used cash to pay a bill of $10.97...I did not have any tens but I had a twenty and a one ( I didn't want a bunch of one's back ) .. the clerk punched in .21 instead, and again could not figure this out, called the manager over and they still screwed it up, when I honestly told them that they gave me to much change, they had to call yet another person to bring a calculator... Needless to say, I walked out of there just shaking my head and wondering what society will be like in another 20 years End of rant.. Back to the regularly scheduled chicken talk.

No, they don't teach basic math skills anymore. They teach albegra, geometry, trigonometry (sp.), calculus, etc. They teach basic skills in 3rd grade and by the end of 8th you forget what a division symbol looks like. It's all alphabet with symbols and a few numbers scattered in there. Pretty annoying actually. Stuff I'll never use in my life but the state makes us learn it.

Exactly! They skip teaching the basics so kids can't even add, subtract, multiply & divide & then wonder why they can't do the algebra & trig & geometry.

Yep, they coud have been from both roos. I have a slight concern though. What's your biosecurity like? It's recommended that you quarentine for at least two weeks to not transmit fatal disease into your flock.

Do i have to separate the new rooster, and it meeds to calm down a bit lol, he hasn't calmed down yet, since he has been moved here so it probably isn't him as he isn't really taking an interest in the girls at the minute

Quarantine is not necessary if these are all new birds & all from the same source. You want to quarantine if you are bringing new birds into an established flock.

This is the math they teach now. It's called common core.

***???

I actually use basic algebra and geometry all the time.

I do too. I love math and look for opportunities to do math in my head. Geometry for building coops and such, algebra also helps for getting the most use out of standard board sizes. Slopes are easily calculated also. My complaint about modern math education, and education in general, is that it doesn't encourage our children to think things through on their own. There is no "right way", as long as your way provides the correct answer. I remember chafing as my math teacher took points off, not because the answer was wrong, but because I didn't show enough steps in my work. I devised shortcuts that let me skip a lot and I had to explain my logic to her before she'd give me full credit. I was a challenging student to have in class, I didn't "fit" any of the patterns that they had been trained to expect in their students. Because of my bad experience in school, I chose to home school my kids and it avoided all that and allowed a very customized education. It is great to explain just a little to a child and watch them comprehend on their own, human brains are amazing when properly challenged, but I don't think that's a consideration on modern education.

I learned all kinds of short cuts & alternate methods in math. When I went to college, the teachers would explain something & everyone would sit there confused. I would ask if it could also be done such & such way & the teacher would check it & say yes. Then about 6 people would ask me to show them my way after class because it was so much easier to understand...lol

 

[wingstone]

My rant was more of a, " I can not believe the things that people have trouble with " . When I really think about it, I see it as more of a life skills problem than a math problem..as others have said, people can no longer function without the computerized system doing things at the touch of a button...

And Blarney, I to have problems when building things, but I learn by hands on, so I usually will not make the same mistake twice..
My point is, I am a high school kick out and I can manage in everyday life, yes I was a very different person back then..

 

[wingstone]

Stake, could you go into more details on how you would use this for hawk cover, I like that idea in my big pen, they have nothing but bare soil in a large section.

 

[fisherlady]

All:

Some math stuff...

A numbers game..... http://www.live-sudoku.com/sudoku-online

and for Blarney, this is what you are looking for......

http://www.mathsisfun.com/pythagoras.html

geez, I'm turning into a thread hog being preachy about math...


PS:

LMP, she's quite a cutie!

I love sudoku puzzlems... and math division problems in the puzzle books.
I used to do math problems in my head to amuse myself on long trips when driving by myself... if I passed a mile marker I would compute how many miles left vs speed vs fuel consumption and add in time for fuel stops and see when to expect to arrive. In fact, I still do it... I also do it while driving the boat, I have gauges with readings for fuel consumption per hour and all sorts of other readings. I can tell you at 4600 rpm, 27 mph I can get 2.8 gallon per hour.... our typical run to fishing grounds on Lake Erie is 30 to 35 minutes, so makes the time go quicker to do the math...

I still do my check book balancing on paper, I rarely pick up a calculator for anything