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<blockquote data-quote="Traxion" data-source="post: 324199" data-attributes="member: 983">Lack of number sense, plain and simple, is a huge issue with our youth.&nbsp; I teach HS students basic technical math and it is incredible what I see.&nbsp; I'd say over 50% of my students could not tell me that .25, 1/4th, 25/100, and 250/1000 all represent the same thing.&nbsp; Fractions are incredibly difficult for them as well.&nbsp; Equivalent fractions are deer in the headlights type questions.&nbsp; I'd say only 50% can put tape measure fractions in order from smallest to largest from 1/16 to 1&quot; when they get to high school.&nbsp; Add in the fact that their retention is low when it comes to basic memorization of math facts.&nbsp; Many kids don't know their simple multiplication facts.&nbsp; And, it is frowned upon in the teaching world to make them be timely with their work.&nbsp; I tell kids that I don't have all day for them to tell me what 4 x 4 is, it should be instant from memory.Why is this happening?&nbsp; Partially to blame is the fact we are teaching math differently than we used to (investigations style), trying to reach more learners.&nbsp; It's a free for all approach, like a 20 lane highway.&nbsp; If you can get to the answer in one of the lanes, you're good.&nbsp; Unfortunately, as math levels increase, the number of lanes gets smaller.&nbsp; At the highest level of math, you have to follow a certain order of operations.&nbsp; Now, most of our kids don't get to this level and are left with the jumbled mess of a method to come up with an answer.&nbsp; And usually in a less than timely manner.&nbsp; Add in the fact that technology is always at their fingertips and they want to lean on it all the time.&nbsp; I have students Google &quot;what is 4 x 4&quot;.&nbsp; There are crazy apps like photo math that do everything for you too.&nbsp; Life skills like this are slowly slipping away.&nbsp; It's a struggle in the classroom and very frustrating when I see it outside in the real world.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Traxion, post: 324199, member: 983"] Lack of number sense, plain and simple, is a huge issue with our youth. I teach HS students basic technical math and it is incredible what I see. I'd say over 50% of my students could not tell me that .25, 1/4th, 25/100, and 250/1000 all represent the same thing. Fractions are incredibly difficult for them as well. Equivalent fractions are deer in the headlights type questions. I'd say only 50% can put tape measure fractions in order from smallest to largest from 1/16 to 1" when they get to high school. Add in the fact that their retention is low when it comes to basic memorization of math facts. Many kids don't know their simple multiplication facts. And, it is frowned upon in the teaching world to make them be timely with their work. I tell kids that I don't have all day for them to tell me what 4 x 4 is, it should be instant from memory. Why is this happening? Partially to blame is the fact we are teaching math differently than we used to (investigations style), trying to reach more learners. It's a free for all approach, like a 20 lane highway. If you can get to the answer in one of the lanes, you're good. Unfortunately, as math levels increase, the number of lanes gets smaller. At the highest level of math, you have to follow a certain order of operations. Now, most of our kids don't get to this level and are left with the jumbled mess of a method to come up with an answer. And usually in a less than timely manner. Add in the fact that technology is always at their fingertips and they want to lean on it all the time. I have students Google "what is 4 x 4". There are crazy apps like photo math that do everything for you too. Life skills like this are slowly slipping away. It's a struggle in the classroom and very frustrating when I see it outside in the real world. [/QUOTE]

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