Ed Bagley's Articles Right Panel

A 50-Year History on Why American Students Are So Poor in Learning Math

(Ed's Note: This is an attempt to show why American students do so poorly in learning math compared to students from other countries around the world. Many countries have much higher, more demanding standards of learning that generate better results. We demand less and dumb down the task; it's an American educator's way of trying to improve test scores.)

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register.

I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1) Teaching Math in the1950s:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2) Teaching Math in the 1960s:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3) Teaching Math in the 1970s:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4) Teaching Math in the 1980s:

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5) Teaching Math in the 1990s:

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate, and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.)

6) Teaching Math in 2009:

Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Yes, we have come a long way in teaching math—from somewhere to nowhere.

Lessons in Life:

Kids Do Say the Darnedest Things, and Here Is My Favorite Fish Story

Kids say and do the darnedest things. They also learn lessons we would never think about. Here are some examples from The Forbes Book of Business Quotation:

An 8-year-old's discovery: I've learned that my daddy can say a lot of words that I can't.

A 14-year-old's discovery: I've learned that it's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble.

A 6-year-old's discovery: I've learned that when you put a June bug down a girl's dress, she goes crazy.

A 7-year-old's discovery: I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

A 6-year-old's discovery: I've learned that if you spread the peas out on your plate, it looks like you ate more.

A 29-year-old's discovery: I've learned that people without children always know just how you should raise yours.

Here is my favorite fish story from the newsletter of the Rotary Club of Lancaster (TX), USA:

A third-grade class was learning about whales when the teacher related the story of Jonah and the whale. At the end of the story, the teacher explained that it would physically impossible for the whale to swallow a human being because whales have very small throats.

One little girl in the class said that because the story was in the Bible, she believed it was true.

"When I get to heaven," the little girl said, "I will ask Jonah."

The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to that other place?"

The little girl replied, "Then you can ask him."

What Happens When 1st Graders Finish Some Well-Known Proverbs? Humor

(Ed's Note: A 1st grade teacher presented the children in her classroom with the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to complete the remainder of the proverb. Here are some of their answers followed by the proverb we know and use in conversation.)

Don't change horses . . . until they stop running.

(Don't change horses in the middle of the stream.)

Strike while the . . . bug is close.

(Strike while the fire is hot.)

It's always darkest before . . . Daylight Saving Time.

(It's always darkest before the dawn.)

Never underestimate the power of . . . termites.

(Never underestimate the power of a few.)

Don't bite the hand that . . . looks dirty.

(Don't bite the hand that's feeding you.)

A miss is as good as a . . . Mr.

(A miss is as good as a mile.)

You can't teach an old dog new . . . math.

(You can't teach an old dog new tricks.)

If you lie down with dogs, you'll . . . stink in the morning.

(If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with flees.)

Love all, trust . . . me.

(Love all, trust few, do wrong to no one.)

An idle mind is . . . the best way to relax.

(An idle mind is the devil's playground.)

Where there's smoke there's . . . pollution.

(Where there's smoke there's fire.)

A penny saved is . . . not much.

(A penny saved is a penny earned.)

Two's company, three's . . . the Musketeers.

(Two's company, three's a crowd.)

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and . . . you have to blow your nose.

(Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.)

There are none so blind as . . . Stevie Wonder.

(There are none so blind as those who will not see.)

Children should be seen and not . . . spanked or grounded.

(Children should be seen and not heard.)

If at first you don't succeed . . . get new batteries.

(If at first you don't succeed, try again.)

You get out of something only what you . . . see in the picture on the box.

(You get out of something only what you put in.)

When the blind lead the blind . . . get out of the way.

(When the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.)

A bird in the hand . . . is going to poop on you.

(A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.)

This exercise demonstrates just one of the many reasons why we love children.

An Internet Breakthrough:

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Stop the Government Bailouts of Businesses That Cannot Survive on Poor Management

Stop this American nonsense of government bailouts with taxpayer money for businesses that cannot survive because of poor management.

Let the poorly run businesses collapse and sink into bankruptcy, foreclosure or receivership, and be sold to businesses with better management that can take these distressed enterprises back to profitability.

Throwing good money at poorly managed businesses is never a good idea. It will make the problem worse. Only a government bureaucrat would think that a bailout is a viable solution to a business problem or a financial crisis in our economy.

Get the idea out of your head that just because it is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (better known as Freddie Mac) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (better known as Fannie Mae) does not mean that they cannot be brought to their knees and punished for their poor management.

These two stockholder-owned corporations were chartered by the U. S. Congress in 1968 (Fannie Mae) and 1970 (Freddie Mac) to promote home ownership. They buy mortgages on the secondary market, pool them, and sell them as mortgage-backed securities to investors on the open market. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae own or guarantee about half of America's $12 trillion mortgage market, and they have made a sorry mess of it in their rush to riches at our taxpayer expense.

Congress chartered these two enterprises, and government bureaucrats and politicians were asleep at the switch in allowing these enterprises to be motivated by greed and avarice. It happened because the business managers of these two enterprises were just like the government officials and politicians who backed them, caught up in an intense desire for wealth and power.

Shame on them, shame on them all, and especially the politicians who were elected to represent us and chose to line their pockets instead with campaign contributions, and look the other way as if nothing improper was happening.

The government administration, led by our new President, has decided that the two congressionally-chartered business, big insurance companies, big banks, big finance houses, and big automotive corporations need to be bailed out at taxpayer expense because they are too big to fail. This is absolute nonsense. All of these enterprises should have been allowed to fail, otherwise, very little will be learned, retained and applied by the enterprises involved.

By bailing them out, we are enabling them to continue their undesirable motives of greed and avarice. We are paying them to fail and just asking for them to sell us—the taxpayers—out.

Just as social engineering attempts to change our thoughts, beliefs and mores about our social problems, financial engineering is now attempting to change our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes about our economic problems.

But is financial engineering a good idea in a free, democratic, capitalist society? I think not. The jury is out at this time in America's economic history. Time will tell whether I am right or wrong.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

There have been times in my life when I have sat down and wondered: What is the meaning of life?

Why are we here?

Is this what my life is going to be?

Is this all there is to life?

Who will remember me when I am gone?

Sometimes my answers to these questions were not very positive. Sometimes my answers were downright negative and involved cussing. Sometime I felt helpless and sorry for myself. I even had a pity party.

Then I thought: What is a matter with you? You should be thankful for all of your blessings. I would start reciting old sayings, like "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet."

Would any reader who HAS NOT experienced at least one of these thoughts, please stand up and announce yourself. If you stood up, you will lie about other things too. We all, without exception, have questioned our existence and purpose in life at one time or another. Welcome to the club of self-doubt, you are a charter member by simply being human.

What is it that will give you true—not temporary—happiness here during your life on planet Earth? Accomplishment? Money? Notice? The perfect soul mate? I have had them all and still did not find permanent happiness and peace of mind.

There is much in my background to suggest that I should be happy with the blessings I have had, and I certainly am to a degree, but I was never totally satisfied with myself and my purpose in life.

To find my reason for being, I was forced to answer in writing these three questions:

Who am I?

What am I meant to do here?

What am I trying to do with my life?

Finding answers to these questions and putting them into writing was not an easy task, but doing so has make me happier than I have ever been in life. Why? Because now I understand my place in the universe and am comfortable with myself and my role in life beyond being a husband, father and grandfather to my family.

After much reflection and soul searching, here is what I found about myself:

Who am I? I am a survivor, and a man of integrity who became a professional writer.

There are three key words in this statement—survivor, integrity, writer. I am a survivor because I grew up in a very dysfunctional family. As a man of integrity, I learned early on that I could not stand lying, cheating and stealing. In the Bible, Proverbs, Chapter 20 Verse 7 says: "The just man walketh (walks upright) in his integrity; his children are blessed after him." I am that man, and have always been that man. As a writer, I became aware of my ability to communicate with the written word early on and have used my God-given gift to become a professional writer.

What am I meant to do here? Serve others.

Being hard-headed, I spent more than 6 decades of my life waiting for God to reveal to me some great purpose for my life. Finally, thankfully, slowly, I came to realize without any great revelation that there was really only one reason for me to be here and that was to serve others and not myself. This epiphany of personal growth on my part has given me continual happiness for the first time in my life.

What am I trying to do with my life? I am using my writing skills to bring knowledge, understanding and ideas to life that will encourage and motivate people to achieve their true potential.

Perhaps Albert Schweitzer said it best: "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

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