What the heck are they teaching kids today

[Patrick]

This drove me nuts. I had to go the mgr office. I bought 5 doz ears of corn for a little BBQ. The kid [ probably 16-17] at the register asked how many I had. I told him, 5 dozen. He asked whats a dozen ? I said what ? A dozen is 12 and there are 5. He asks how many is that ? You just multiply 12X5. He asks what that comes comes to. I should have told him 10. What the heck are we teaching these kids today. What are we paying these exorbitant NYS school taxes for ! This kid is the future of our country. OK, rant over for now.

[Jess from VA]

Dude, everyone knows five dozen is 23 ears of corn.  

What a maroon.

I have tried many times teaching cash register people (mostly young) how to count back change; the same way I was taught.

Your charge is 2.75, and you gave me a five, so here's a quarter (for three), and two singles (for five).

And you get the eyes open.... but nobody's in there.  

I pumped gas when it was so cheap no one did fill-ups, it was always 2, 3, or 5 bucks.  If I couldn't make change, I was history.

I was 15 the first time someone told me something cost a buck two ninety-seven.   How much???

I was also 15 the first (and only) time a quick change artist cheated me out of money. I had to make it up out of my pay (at $1.25hr).  The boss said, when someone wants change, always take the bill from them and lay it on your cash drawer, then make the change and put the bill in the drawer.  The guy doesn't get to keep both.  Doh~

[Patrick]

Ya, I kinda thought things were going downhill when you could use a calculator instead of a slide rule. Its no wonder we are now [ or last I knew] 37th of the industrialized nations in education.
And here I thought there were only about 30 industrialized nations.

[da prez]

Pay with quarters and see if they know how to count.

                          da prez

[Valker]

I've been a school teacher in my small town for 40 years. I like to pay an amount like $6.17 with a ten. As soon as they ring it up I say, "Wait, I've got a quarter........."

[Bighead]

So you get back$5.19 correct?

[Valker]

So you get back$5.19 correct?

Mostly I get back blank stares with the occasional plea for help......

[Gryphon Rider]

In Canada, a dozen is 10 of something.  Metric system, eh? 

As long as the McDonald's drive-through kid knows what medium regular and medium decaf double double coffees are, I'm happy.

My neighbourhood is ethically diverse, with a slight majority being white because some have lived there for decades, but for school-aged kids white is just another minority.  Most of the community's immigrant parents know the value of doing well at school to have a better life, so my local McDonald's, across the street from the high school, has a pool of applicants from which to choose bright, hard-working kids.  At least that's what I see from my perspective as a customer.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Tell them you grabbed a baker's dozen, just to get even deeper blank stares.

[3fan4life]

I've been a school teacher in my small town for 40 years. I like to pay an amount like $6.17 with a ten. As soon as they ring it up I say, "Wait, I've got a quarter........."

I do that all of the time, it's just too much fun. 

[old2soon]

     Seen it far too many times. Bread ain't rizz. Elevator no reach the top floor. Lights on nobody home. I had a paper route also pumped gas. Cut grass some times by the hour some times by the lawn. Dad and Mom made SURE we could not only count but also count change back. Sides the paper route and pumping gas paid me Money for hard honest work. When it rings up let em punch in how much you give them then quickly cover their side of the read out and watch the deer in the head lights look when you ask em-how much change am I sposed to git back? NOT really sure but I'm thinkin today far Too many young uns just be polishing the oak. RIDE SAFE.

[98valk]

Dude, everyone knows five dozen is 23 ears of corn.  

What a maroon.

I have tried many times teaching cash register people (mostly young) how to count back change; the same way I was taught.

Your charge is 2.75, and you gave me a five, so here's a quarter (for three), and two singles (for five).

And you get the eyes open.... but nobody's in there.  

I pumped gas when it was so cheap no one did fill-ups, it was always 2, 3, or 5 bucks.  If I couldn't make change, I was history.

I was 15 the first time someone told me something cost a buck two ninety-seven.   How much???

I was also 15 the first (and only) time a quick change artist cheated me out of money. I had to make it up out of my pay (at $1.25hr).  The boss said, when someone wants change, always take the bill from them and lay it on your cash drawer, then make the change and put the bill in the drawer.  The guy doesn't get to keep both.  Doh~

so how much is a buck two ninety-seven?     that term was only used briefly in my area growing up and then went away. some used to say a buck was 100 dollar bill.   and now modern day street slang    Buck Fifty
n. A particularly gruesome cut across one's face that results in the need for 150 stitches.
"I'm gonna give you a buck fifty."

[cookiedough]

what the heck is a slide rule?  seriously, what is it?   

man some of us are older than I thought?   

[scooperhsd]

I got a slide rule in High School just to learn what it was and how to use it. Didn't keep it very long - went on to calculators by Ti (still in the business, BTW).

[carolinarider09]

Just for the record, I have both my slide rule from my college days and my TI calcualtor from my first years working in the commercial nuclear field. 

Both still work. 

Anyone remember the firs HP Calculators using RPN (Reverse Polish Notation)?

[hubcapsc]

Just for the record, I have both my slide rule from my college days and my TI calcualtor from my first years working in the commercial nuclear field. 

Both still work. 

Anyone remember the firs HP Calculators using RPN (Reverse Polish Notation)?

My 11th(?) grade physics teacher had one. Naturally, I couldn't afford one, so I
got an inexpensive rpn calculator from National Semiconductor from a
department store called "Alexander's"... I got my first $20 guitar there too 

-Mike

[F6Dave]

The schools are so busy indoctrinating kids with revised anti-American history, and how to be eco-terrorists, that there isn't any time left to teach math and science.

[Jess from VA]

Most kids just got whacked with a ruler.

Smart kids got whacked with a slide rule.

My dad was a wizard with one (a civil engineer before computers; though the slide rule was an early computer).

It was a complete mystery to me;  I might as well have tried to learn Japanese (and just as useful, to me).

All my childhood testing placed me high in math aptitude, but it bored the crap out me and I did as little of it as possible.  Which kind of disappointed my dad.  

[0leman]

Had a slide rule back in the mid 60's while attending College.  Saw me thru most of my classes using math, till I took a Statics class.  Got to us  fancy calculator.  From then on used electronic types. 

Slide rule got put in a drawer.  Still have it in the top drawer of Dresser.  Not sure I could use it any more.

My two older grandsons have done quiet well in math, both of them can multiply two two digit number in their heads.   One is heading to college in the fall (or maybe taking classes on line).   The youngest, 8 years old is doing simple math in his head.   So some of the younger generation actually are using their heads for something other than holding up a hat. 

[F6Dave]

Smart kids got whacked with a slide rule.

My dad was a wizard with one (a civil engineer before computers; though the slide rule was an early computer).

It's amazing to watch some of the NASA films from the 1960s, when many critical calculations were made with slide rules.  Our first assignment in high school chemistry was to learn how to use one.  The classroom had this huge 5 foot slide rule hanging from the ceiling, which the teacher used as a visual aid.

[old2soon]

           As others have stated learned to use a slide rule in grade school-6th or 7th grade? BUT that were a LONG time ago. And I recall Every day in grade school-5th grade on up-studying math english history-American and World-sentence structure and others I can't recall. Also recollect gittin smacked fer my smart mouth or falling asleep in class. Smack the little darlins today and if the smackee doesn't shoot them on the spot they get fired. Corporal punishment Worked. Simple in a nutshell-I believe today a lot-Not All-are not being taught a cursed thing. Just pushed thru what ever system they happen to fall under. Sad really. Also these little darlins may be pickin our nursing home or storage facility.  RIDE SAFE.

[RP#62]

I used a slide rule in HS and college.  When I got to college, the TI calculators were just coming out, but since they were a couple of hundred bucks, only the rich kids had them.  I was still using the slide rule, fingers and toes.

-RP

[The emperor has no clothes]

I used a slide rule in HS and college.  When I got to college, the TI calculators were just coming out, but since they were a couple of hundred bucks, only the rich kids had them.  I was still using the slide rule, fingers and toes.

-RP

I don't remember for sure what grade, maybe 9th or 10th. But I sure remember the amazement of realizing how accurate those things were. To me, it seemed like black magic. (BMM ?) Although, I'm afraid I'd just be dumbfounded if I looked at one now. (I'd have to YouTube it)

[Challenger]

Still have my slide rule from High School, it's in the glove box and is handy for figuring gas mileage on my old vehicle that doesn't tell you all that crap on the dash.   

[da prez]

  I still have my Military fire stick (slide rule) to calculate trajectory. It can also be used for math.
At one time i could use an abacus.  Lack of use causes forgetfulness.
  WHAT WAS THE QUESTION.

                                                  da prez

[Patrick]

'Smart kids got whacked with a slide rule.'   



I still have it,,, somewhere. I don't know if I would recognize it let alone be able to use it. 

Getting a TI calculator in the 60s for $200 !  Thats several grand today. So no way, that was the time when any extra money went toward beer and girls.

[Pluggy]

I remember RPN.  We were the first class through college that used calculators and not a slide rule.  I had a job interview with the Southern Railroad in DC, and was given a math test.  No calculator.  I had lost my ability to do cube roots without a calculator.  They probably asked.... What are they teaching kids in school these days? 

I flunked the interview and went to work for Westinghouse.  Southern Railroad folded soon afterwards.  Lucky me.

[carolinarider09]

One of the reasons I got my TI calculator in the 70's was I was working as a nuclear power plant operator at a station in Florida.  We were in training for taking the licensing exam which consisted of two levels, Reactor Operator (maximum time of 9 hours to take the exam, all essay questions and lots of math) and Senior Reactor Operator level (same type of exam as RO but focused on supervisory decisions and you only got 7 hours to take that one).  

The calculator was invaluable for taking the exam since the questions were all essay, show your work, ect.  

I think today the exams are multiple choice but I have not taken one in 20 years.    

At least thats what i remember.

[Pluggy]

  I still have my Military fire stick (slide rule) to calculate trajectory. It can also be used for math.
At one time i could use an abacus.  Lack of use causes forgetfulness.
  WHAT WAS THE QUESTION.

                                                  da prez

We all had a pilot's slide rule that contained a circular calculator.  Called an E6B.  My dad had one too, and he was a WW2 pilot.  My instructor advised me to get the aluminum version, not the plastic.  The plastic one would soften and lose its shape if left in a hot cockpit.

[Pluggy]

So you get back$5.19 correct?

Mostly I get back blank stares with the occasional plea for help......

Blank stares are not new.  I could usually get beer at age 19 or 20 if I presented myself as an adult.  Occasionally the ID was requested.  I would show it, and often the clerk could not subtract my birth year from the present year.  Blank stare.  Well, I looked 21.  Mission accomplished.

[Patrick]

  I still have my Military fire stick (slide rule) to calculate trajectory. It can also be used for math.
At one time i could use an abacus.  Lack of use causes forgetfulness.
  WHAT WAS THE QUESTION.

                                                  da prez

We all had a pilot's slide rule that contained a circular calculator.  Called an E6B.  My dad had one too, and he was a WW2 pilot.  My instructor advised me to get the aluminum version, not the plastic.  The plastic one would soften and lose its shape if left in a hot cockpit.

The whiz wheel ! Still have them, used to teach folks how to use them. The first time a student pulled out one of those new fangled computers while in flight I just took out the batteries, tossed them and handed it back.