God. Read the thread! She said "IF that were why we learned math" which was in response to when Justin said that we used math for things like figuring how much wood was needed in a bridge.






You....are on a whole other page than I am. And if you're on topic, then I'm definately not because I thought we were discussing the correlation between comprehension of material and grades, not seeing the world as a complex whatever it is that you think it is.

people people.....play nice....i just want everyone's opinion on this debate.

Sorry, that came off kinda mean, I have a huge headache right now....

so back to grades and comprehension.....

Well still, even if you get the wood, you would still need to know the dimensions which would require at least algebra.

actually i took algebra 1 in 7th grade

and dimensions...doesnt that include like...area of a square and such...which i remember learning in 5th or 6th grade...plus couldnt you just use like a meter stick to determine the width of wood for the bridge?

and by no means did i ever say that math was completely useless i said "seem very pointless" which is far from useless...you've got to agree with me that at least once in math class you've thought "why are we learning this...i'm never going to use it..."

Same. I know a few C students who are hella lot smarter than me and I'm usually an A student.

I'm an A student and I google for my answers everyonce in awhile.

AND!

I remember what I do. Like just 5 minutes ago, I was doing like stuff about the civil war, and I last did that in the 7th grade, and i'm in 10th now.

Algebra isn't a freshman course. I was doing that in the 7th/8th grade.

I just took it again in the 9th. I can't remember why though...

True, but dimensions also include volume.

Absolutely, even now I still wonder why I need to learn about integration....Also, Im sorry for assuming you meant that it is "useless", but pointless seems a little extreme as well.



Edit: ALSO, Algebra is a FRESHMEN year course. I also took algebra my 7th grade year, but it was meant for freshmens. For those that took it before it, you guys are ahead :

ok guys, come on now, back on topic:

^ i could not agree more :D

A constant I used to see in my school is the people who had nothing better to do as far as a social life was concerned got A's, the people who were actually intelligent were practically failing classes or just not doing homework, and there was just a bunch of stoner kids that got together in groups to do homework and just get it out of the way. There were always the slackers and special ed kids, but we're not talking about them.

The highschool grading system in the united states rewards sheeps and cheaters. Anyone who has any sort of unique prospect on the learning process, such as actually learning the material to retain it, gets pushed out of the way because the system is not created for them.

I had better things to do than homework, like deal with people who only wished bad things upon me and try to deal with a poor home situation. I practically only did tests and essays for 3 years of highschool. I got practically all A's on both my tests and essays. This means that I learned the material, yet I got a worse grade than the stoner kids who were cheating and just getting it done in groups.

Messed up ass backwards system. Needs to be more personalized. Kind of like a set your own pace thing. That way the people who WANT to progress will be given the ability to do so, while the people who are just doing it because they have to can go and do their thing with the potsmoking and burger flipping. Wouldn't it make sense as a government to find the strengths of people and use them to stimulate an economy?

I think I went too far. My apologies, I haven't slept yet.

^ Exactly.
You didn't go too far, no worries.
I'm the same way as him.

Um, end, he already explained my thinking...

bring it back! one more time.

I believe comprehension is more important than the grade. Unfortunately, that's not how the American system works, and I doubt it will ever be that way. It's great how most of the kids at my "super brilliant school" that are in top 10% cheat to get in there.

I think its stupid.
Someone can fully understand something, but not memorize a certain fact and fail.

Or someone can memorize facts and get an A and not understand it, then forget about it two days later.

Algebra normally is, I took pre in 7th grade, (but the teacher was crazy so I had to take it again in 8th) I have the choice of taking it in 8th

well ... in AP classes, you better dam know it all & understand it.