Why Elementary School Math is Torture

We all know how it goes.  First we learn to count, then to add, then to subtract, then to multiply, then to divide, we throw in some fractions just for kicks, and before we know it we are sitting in algebra I class, mindlessly kicking the chair in front of us, tired, miserable, bored, and in most cases utterly confounded.  Maria Droujkova, pioneering educator, is trying to alter this torturous right of passage.  She calls much of the math we learn in elementary school "developmentally inappropriate." The standard progression of mathematical concepts that children lean is entirely unrelated to the foundations of math and the developmental abilities of children.  Addition is a simple concept, but a cognitively a difficult task for most young children.  Essentially, teachers are asking their students to "dig a trench with a spoon," a simple but torturous task.  What educators should be focused on according to Droujkova is free math play, tasks that are conceptually complex, but easy.  Examples of such play include:  "building a house with LEGO blocks, doing origami or snowflake cut-outs, or using a pretend “function box” that transforms objects (and can also be used in combination with a second machine to compose functions, or backwards to invert a function, and so on)."  If given these tasks, children would understand that mathematics is essentially patterns and structures, and be able to apply this knowledge formally when developmentally appropriate.  The way in which we learn math today turns off children at an early age to potentially enjoyable concepts that can improve and shape our world.  Mathematics is important and fundamentally playful, so why do most adults shiver with fear at the mention of calculus?  Well, like you might of guessed, it is because, their fourth grade math teacher was a torturous villain bent on destroying happiness and hope.  Read the full article here http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/5-year-olds-can-learn-calculus/284124/.

Nia Edwards 4th period Temperatures tank in Dallas while snow falls on east coast

Nia Edwards 
4th period

Dallas's temperature went from a high of 81 degrees to a low of 24 degrees in less than 24 hours. A meteorologist, Sean Morris, reported that the reason for this sudden drop is because a cold mass from Canada brought frigid air moving southeast across Texas. Temperatures now are about 30 to 40 degrees below normal. The weather is expected to remain like this for the remainder of this week. More pushes of cold, arctic air will come into the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Winter Storms have forced the several flights to be cancelled. The federal government even closed offices in Washington, expected up to  inches of snow. Four people have lost their lives because of weather related car crashes. Schools from Dallas to Pennsylvania have been shut down due to this terrible weather.

This weather is honestly so scary. One minute we're wearing shorts and tank tops and then the next minute we are wearing 3 coats and four blankets on top because it is so cold. This weather has caused so many accidents, it is just so unfortunate. Usually people like the cold air but I think by this time everyone is tired of it. But there really is nothing we can do but wait out the cold.
 http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/03/us/winter-storm/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Aubrey Chick "Powerful storm lashes eastern U.S. with snow, arctic cold"

Summary:
     On Monday, freezing rain, snow, and new-record cold hit the east coast, causing schools, flights, and even local governments to close. The storm hit Washington with 4 inches of snow as it swept from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic Coast. Freeze warnings were sent out from the Canadian border all the way to Texas. The overnight lows in Washington are 9F, which is the lowest temperature Washington has had in the month of March since 1873. In West Virginia, schools are beginning to get frustrated at how many days they will have to make up because of the many snow days they've had.

Analysis:
     Personally, I'm tired of this freezing weather! It has been fun missing days of school, but I'm ready for warm weather. It's crazy how many states of the U.S. have been affected by this. Like the schools in West Virginia, I'm worried about having to make up so many days. However, I recently heard from someone I know who is a principal say that we are only required to have to make up 2 inclement weather days. Hopefully that's true!

http://news.yahoo.com/massive-storm-system-takes-aim-winter-weary-u-022907053--finance.html

"Texas couple pen a 'bucket list' for their baby with fatal illness" by Hannah Kilpatrick

Summary

Texas infant, Avery Canahuati is not yet 6-months-old and is expected only to live for 18 months at best. Avery was born with a rare genetic disorder – Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type One, the worst of an incurable disease caused by a genetic defect that attacks the muscles, especially the respiratory system. One in 40 people are carriers of the gene and Mike and Laura Canahuati had a 1-in-1,600 chance of both being carriers. There is no cure for the disease and very little research has been done. “We could go around and cry all day long or we can enjoy the time we have with her,” her mother said. “We have all the time in the world to cry when this is over.”  Avery’s parents decided to take their daughters story online, creating a blog and a “bucket list” written as though Avery will make it past age 2 and experience life’s milestones as a healthy girl. They’ve made memories like her first Easter, her first trip to college, her first innocent kiss, and her first little girl tea party with her mom. “We can watch her die or we can let her live,” her father said. “And through letting her live we’re going to try to educate other people about this so they don’t have to go through it too.” Mike and Laura promise to chronicle every moment in a very short life so that we remember Avery; remember a disease that needs more research, and remember how they spent each day.

Analysis

This story truly brought me to tears. It must be so hard and so painful knowing that your daughter is going to live such a short life. I think that they have done the right thing though by making memories with their daughter while she is still alive. You can tell that they are wonderful parents who care about their child so much and want to make her happy. It is just so unfortunate that she has a disorder that will prohibit her from living a long life. This was such a beautiful, tragic, and touching story and I will keep the Canahuati family in my thoughts and in my prayers. I hope that people will become more aware of this rare genetic disease and that in turn, more research will be done to find a cure. I just wish that this family would not have to go through the suffering of losing a daughter, because I can’t even begin to imagine how heart wrenching it must be.

Here is the link to my article:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/28/us/texas-baby-bucket-list/index.html

Gloria Jones: Georgia School Principal Travels for Sex with Child

Recently, an elementary school principal has been charged with traveling with the intention of meeting children to have sex with them. He is said to have met these children online in chat rooms and then set up dates to meet them. Along with him about 13 other people are going to be convicted of the same crime.
I think it is very important that men, such as this, are tried in court. They are creepy and have no right to be out in society, let alone working around children. I don't know what the age of the victims was. However, if a man of 50 or 60 is pursuing children for such relations, he should end up imprisoned.
I hope investigations such as this continue in order to enforce the protection of children from creeps like him.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/03/justice/georgia-principal-child-pornography-charges/index.html?c=us&page=2

Court OKs school's ban on U.S. flag T-Shirts on Cinco de Mayo- Ashley Barnes

A California school has banned students from wearing American flag T-Shirts on Cinco de Mayo, as courts ruled last Thursday. Does this sound ridiculous? The problem with wearing American flag T-Shirts is that it was used as a sign of protest to the holiday, and a sign of racial discrimination. Administrators asked students to turn the shirts inside out or to cover the flag while at school , but many students refused. The students claimed that it violated their rights. However, the court ruled that schools do have this right, especially since it was a safety and discrimination issue.

As students and minors, we still have rights. However, not all of our rights can be used until we are legal adults. Even though it seems silly and unrealistic for America to rule that students cannot wear American flag shirts, you have to look at the reasoning and causes. These students were trying to put a message against Mexican Americans, and they were causing physical problems. The school has to be capable of fixing problems. If students are using clothing to make a school unsafe, then of course the school should have the right to address the issue.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/justice/california-school-american-flag-shirts/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Can you sue the police? - Amber Ward P5

Summary: This story is pretty simple, there was a car chase with the police and two suspects, the chase got out of control and  police ended up firing 15 shots into the suspects' car causing them to run into a house and die. One of the suspect's family decided to the police department for excessive force and now the case has reached the supreme court.

Analysis: Apparently the usually rule is that people aren't allowed to sue the police, except in very extreme cases. I don't believe this is one of those cases. But I do firmly believe that people should be able to sue anyone who has done them an excessive wrong, including the police. Though this isn't one of these extreme cases considering that the suspects almost killed an officer in their attempt to get away, there are many cases that were extreme and excessive enough to be tried against police, if only the victims would have done so.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/03/03/pkg-mcpike-scotus-chase.cnn.html