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| Blogs > secret_lade > Ramblings of the depraved..... |
Math 101
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Math 101 I'm concerned folks.... I'm concerned that this next generation that is coming up in the world cannot do basic math. And.... I'm talking basic. One of my new hires from Monday's orientation class was doing her computer based learning today and she came to me for help. "Can you help me? I'm afraid I won't pass the test. I'm just not good at making change." Um, ok.... Making change, I get it, can be kind of tricky. "Ok, I'm not familiar with that training, but I'm sure I can work my way through it." I headed into the computer center expecting to see some elaborate story problem that would require a little mental acuity on my part. Fractions.... Carrying.... Rounding up.... Instead I see.... The total purchase comes to $14.75 and the customer hands you a $20. You accidentally tender the sale for $200. How much change should the customer receive? Before the computer is a sheet of paper with a series of failed attempts to solve this math problem. None of the answers correct. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she stared at me expecting me to figure out this problem for her. "Ok, so, the purchase comes to $14.75. Add a quarter and we are at $15. Add a $5 and we are at $20. So, the total amount due to the customer is $5.25." "What about the $200. What happens to that?" "There is no $200, that was an error. Remember? We are only making change for the amount the customer gave us." "How do you know what to subtract?" "You should be subtracting the cost of the purchase from the total amount the customer gave you." "$200" Remind me to always go through her line when I'm checking out! Happy Tuesday! |
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Yep, the education of math sucks, because that requires critical thinking (i.e. something is right, anything else is wrong). Actually I noticed it when I was in high school back in the 70's (in California - I think we were ahead of the dumbing down curve even then!). I personally don't think calculators should be allowed in any math class before college. If the math on a problem is really too hard, the editor screwed up. Yes, I am an engineer, and numbers are fun for me, but that kind of screwup shouldn't have graduated 3rd grade!
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Could I get her work schedule please....?  Vive La Difference
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Massass1963 " We skip over arithmetic, spelling, and grammar to provide high-tech training and computer training. Many of these should be reserved for college, not high school." My 7 yr. old Grandson uses a School Issued Laptop in the Second Grade !!!   
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I have a good friend who used to have a donut shop/convenience store and every person she hired was required to learn to count change back....without the use of a cash register or calculator. It was something she insisted on them knowing. If they couldn't do it...or learn to do it...they didn't work there. It drove the point home a few times when the power would go off during a storm and they could still make sales....and count change back to the customers. Pagan  Hmmmm....I know I left that wand around here somewhere!
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Blimey! And I thought my math(s) was bad 
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Math 101 is the beginning math class in college... The easiest.
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I think that we were taught how to count back change in school, but then, I graduated high school shorty after you were born. The only people that count back change for me are generally over 40. Financial awareness and budgeting is being taught in some high schools. Mostly it is learned at home. And if home is struggling, then the children probably will as well. Many can find a solution, but generally not on the first time unless someone else has shown them and the seed sprouts when it counts.
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Practical math is a skill that is slowly disappearing... I'm one of those people who uses a lot of quarters in my day to day life. When I do pay with cash, I tend to pay for things in a way that gives me a quarters in change. If the total comes to 3.78, I'll give them a five-dollar bill and three pennies.... and watch the world come to a screeching halt. *facepalm
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Have you seen the 'new' math they teach now in school? Maybe if they didn't reinvent the wheel.... My daughter's 4th grade teacher wanted me to take a class to learn 'new' math so I could help her with her homework. I flat out refused and told her that as long as my math got the same results as her math, I was sticking with it.
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" My first job was a cashier at a Walgreens and it was a requirement that I count back change to the customer" me to! me to when i was young... so so many years ago. i worked the cash in a mom & pop shop. i had to count back the change... but they did not have an abacus... and now i know why the good lord gave us fingers an toes fingers an toes
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When your company hires Ms. Einstein please send me the address of the store she works at. Thank you 
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Feeling a little hungry on my way home from evening shift; I stopped at a McD's about 2 blocks from home. Placed my order; handed the clerk a 20. He laid it on the open drawer, counted out my change, as I watched, picked up the 20 and my change and handed it to me. General; being Honest, I would point out the error but noticed on his name badge underneath said, " Shift Lead " ! I pocketed the change and walking out the door was thinking to myself that this drawer shortage would be on him and Thanks for the Free meal !!  At my last job I had to run register quite a bit and part of my closing duties was to do the cash drop. If we were off, every single person who used that register throughout the day got a meeting report. I started to resent the young newbies who were constantly making mistakes.
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I've seen the total due come up on the screen, and watched the cashiers repeatedly check the "change due" on the screen. I always do it in my head.
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Blimey! And I thought my math(s) was bad 
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Practical math is a skill that is slowly disappearing... I'm one of those people who uses a lot of quarters in my day to day life. When I do pay with cash, I tend to pay for things in a way that gives me a quarters in change. If the total comes to 3.78, I'll give them a five-dollar bill and three pennies.... and watch the world come to a screeching halt. *facepalm
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I think that we were taught how to count back change in school, but then, I graduated high school shorty after you were born. The only people that count back change for me are generally over 40. Financial awareness and budgeting is being taught in some high schools. Mostly it is learned at home. And if home is struggling, then the children probably will as well. Many can find a solution, but generally not on the first time unless someone else has shown them and the seed sprouts when it counts.
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11/18/2020 6:00 am |
" My first job was a cashier at a Walgreens and it was a requirement that I count back change to the customer" me to! me to when i was young... so so many years ago. i worked the cash in a mom & pop shop. i had to count back the change... but they did not have an abacus... and now i know why the good lord gave us fingers an toes fingers an toes there is a world of difference between insanity and stupidity
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When your company hires Ms. Einstein please send me the address of the store she works at. Thank you When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Feeling a little hungry on my way home from evening shift; I stopped at a McD's about 2 blocks from home. Placed my order; handed the clerk a 20. He laid it on the open drawer, counted out my change, as I watched, picked up the 20 and my change and handed it to me. General; being Honest, I would point out the error but noticed on his name badge underneath said, " Shift Lead " ! I pocketed the change and walking out the door was thinking to myself that this drawer shortage would be on him and Thanks for the Free meal !!
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11/18/2020 3:56 am |
I've seen the total due come up on the screen, and watched the cashiers repeatedly check the "change due" on the screen. I always do it in my head.
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Why not just void the 200 that was entered? The register calculates the amount of change to give back, in this case it would tell you to give back 185.25. I paid for a meal the other night. The total was 12.75. I gave the person a 20, two ones and 75 cents. He gave me back the 2 ones saying I gave him too much. I said it was so he could give me a 10 back. If he just entered it as I gave it to him in the register it would have showed to give me back 10. Trust the machine.
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That's not an inability to add or subtract, that's just good old stupidity! Ye cannae teach it either, it's in the genes!! 
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I have no words. Really. Wow.
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the problem is not as isolated as you think...i would say passing out of ten chases if they to use their brain to solve a transaction seven will fuck it up. but the best has to be Mc'D's when the cashier sought out the manager to help her.... and he was more lost than the cashier 
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That's not an inability to add or subtract, that's just good old stupidity! Ye cannae teach it either, it's in the genes!!
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