lsloan (August 30, 2008 at 1:16 pm)

Actually, although I don't use it, I think the partial products algorithm for multiplication looks pretty good. It does keep place values clearer. The addition problem at the end does have more addends, but it is not any more difficult than the one in the standard algorithm, since many of the digits are zeros.

Rael5000 (August 30, 2008 at 12:42 pm)

lol the book she used is of old syllabus. the new syllabus is more difficult.

firestorm811 (August 30, 2008 at 9:53 am)

Crock! A shill promotion through a condescending slam of existing products with one sided propaganda techniques while coattailling on Al Gore. The double digit technique she slammed from Everyday Math is solid and valuable. 26x31 is 20x30=600; 6x30=180; 1x20=20; and 6x1=6. Once you get it, you can do double digit math in your head by adding as you go... 600+180=780, +20=800+6 is 806! Tons quicker than old way and actually makes sense as you do it. If my mom I'd be really embarrassed.

blackstar992 (August 28, 2008 at 4:24 pm)

that second way is much better teachers want me to learn that 1st standerd version but im just better of w/ the second

RedwoodTheElf (August 27, 2008 at 9:42 pm)

Where to begin?Ipods, Playstations, Home PCs, etc...I've seen gradeschool kids walking around with PDAs for cryin out loud. The number of gadgets that fill our culture in the 21st century is immense...it's been a cliche since the release of the VCR that the kids are better with the gadgets than the adults.

SssThsss (August 27, 2008 at 8:21 pm)

Still, you can't asume everyone knows how to use it. Some reference can't really hurt.And what gadgets are you referring to?

RedwoodTheElf (August 27, 2008 at 2:47 am)

Learning to use a calculator is (no pun intended) Childs' play compared to the kind of gadgets kids are already using by the fifth grade these days. A whole chapter on the thing is a waste of book space.

SssThsss (August 26, 2008 at 11:26 pm)

What's wrong with a reference on how to use the thing? All in all, it should be the teacher who should or should not allow the students to use calculators. But there's nothing wrong in knowing to use it.If, in any case, the students use calculators on their homeworks, their grades on the tests will show it. And that's pretty much how it works when you have someone do your homework for you.

RedwoodTheElf (August 26, 2008 at 1:45 pm)

The POINT is, Calculators shouldn't be allowed UNTIL the student understands what multiplication and division are, and how to do it effectively and consistantly without one. For an INTRO math book to advocate use of a calculator for anything more complicated than Sesame Street Math is irresponsible.

SssThsss (August 26, 2008 at 5:02 am)

I partly agree with you, ronvoa101, but this video is about 4th-5th grade books. It is true, children NEED to learn the basics before they learn how they work. But the video disqualifies the other books' way of teaching, since it's supposedly "useless and misleading". And that is a BIG mistake. Children should first learn what, theorically, multiplication and division ARE, shown different methods for solving them, and THEN move on to memorizing what's more convenient(not necessarily the old way)