I hate it when the math homework has errors in it!!!!

[shortbun]

My great math student just came to me in tears. He said he spent an hour trying to figure out one problem and he could not do it. "Bring it to me." says I. I look at it and I think, 'how hard could this be, it's simple equations solved by substitution.' So, I start. The first freaking problem has NO 'Y" in the equation, it's a misprint and the problem can not be done as it's written. GEESH!!!! It doesn't occur to DS that there might be an error in printed materials but I see it immediately-cynic that I am. He's furious and so am I that his math teacher handed out a lesson that was flawed and didn't even go over it in class. dumb, dumb, dumb. I must teach my child to be more suspect when he's stumped as he could have spent 3 hours and never have solved this problem. The worst thing was he didn't want to call a friend because he's THE math star and he was embarrased he was stuck. So, I tell him '20 minutes max on any one problem then go to the next.'

 

[eduk8r26]

I have found errors in the math books, especially in the answers. I've worked it over and over and discovered the book was wrong.

 

[lovetoscrap]

My daughter's Algebra teacher intentionally puts in unsolvable problems. She wants them to recognize when a problem can't be done.

 

[HannaBelle]

My daughter's Algebra teacher intentionally puts in unsolvable problems. She wants them to recognize when a problem can't be done.

Is she a sadist?

I children routinely come home with errors in their teacher prepared math assignments. I HATE it!

 

[december]

My great math student just came to me in tears. He said he spent an hour trying to figure out one problem and he could not do it. "Bring it to me." says I. I look at it and I think, 'how hard could this be, it's simple equations solved by substitution.' So, I start. The first freaking problem has NO 'Y" in the equation, it's a misprint and the problem can not be done as it's written. GEESH!!!! It doesn't occur to DS that there might be an error in printed materials but I see it immediately-cynic that I am. He's furious and so am I that his math teacher handed out a lesson that was flawed and didn't even go over it in class. dumb, dumb, dumb. I must teach my child to be more suspect when he's stumped as he could have spent 3 hours and never have solved this problem. The worst thing was he didn't want to call a friend because he's THE math star and he was embarrased he was stuck. So, I tell him '20 minutes max on any one problem then go to the next.'

Are you sure it was a misprint? Are these systems of equations you are solving by substitution? No y could just mean that it is the equation for the graph of a vertical line.

 

[tink_lover]

My daughter's Algebra teacher intentionally puts in unsolvable problems. She wants them to recognize when a problem can't be done.

OMG - I'm having flashbacks to college chemistry where Sr. Agnes would give us tests where we only knew 1-2 problems to show us what we had yet to learn. Not sure it was really all that helpful.

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

My daughter's Algebra teacher intentionally puts in unsolvable problems. She wants them to recognize when a problem can't be done.

I had a teacher that did that. We had to put "not enough information" in the answer spot. I liked those because they didn't require as much thinking.

 

[FireDancer]

Are you sure it is unsolvable? Sets (or systems) of linear equations can have variables omitted from one of the sets. I'm sure anyone who has suffered through differential equations can tell you that. They are the only thing that ever made my brain hurt, including theoretical physics.

My daughter's Algebra teacher intentionally puts in unsolvable problems. She wants them to recognize when a problem can't be done.

I had teachers that did this also. I had a programming teacher that used to put endlessly recursing algorithms in tests and ask what the output of the function was. Often the solution to mathematical problems is that there is no solution, at least not with the information given. Knowing when to spot that is just as viable as finding the value of x.

As far as typos, not everything gets caught. I've read novels that had typos in them and have found them in the Wall Street Journal. Some just get by, no one is every going to catch them all.

 

[jlima]

DS9's 3rd grade teacher sent home WRONG spelling words about 5 times during the year last year, and blamed it on her aides every time. All they had to do was copy from a text book . . . grrrrr . . . can you send the teacher an email; and ask her directly if the problem is correct, or did she send home something unsolvable as a learning experience? I would.