Tag education | Hannah Ihms

February 5, 2013 by Hannah

A Student’s Complaint

Students, poor students. Here’s a letter my Grandpa received when he was Chairman of Math and Science almost twenty years ago.

[Date]

Dear [Instructor’s Name]:

Today I came to Math 104, with the intention of taking an exam. After a few minutes a medical emergency, unknown to me at that time, guided me to the hospital emergency room instead.

The day I was to return to class, you reviewed the exam with the class. Knowing I still had to make up the exam, I decided not to go to class that day.

The following day when I asked you about re-taking the exam and showed you my doctor’s excuse you informed me that you would not let me make it up because I had already seen it (the day I got sick). You went on to tell me that this exam would be the exempt low score that you offer your class.

I have a real problem with this. I feel I have the right to make up an exam if I have a legitimate excuse for missing the original one. Especially with an authentic document from the emergency room physician.

I still want to make up this exam. I would like to resolve this problem as soon as possible, but I will not hestitate to go to a higher authority if necessary.

Sincerely, [Student Name]

cc [Name, Chairman of Math and Science]
[Name, Director of Math and Science]

February 5, 2013 by Hannah

The Evolution of the Math Problem

I found this among my Grandfather’s papers on a dot-matrix-printed sheet of paper. I’m guessing it gave him quite a chuckle, which is why he kept it. The author is unknown.

Take a simple math problem, subject it to thirty years of new, improved teaching methods, and deduce the formula to yield our average yearly drop in SAT scores.

In 1960
“A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price. What is his profit?”

In 1970 (Traditional Math)
“A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price; in other words, $80. What is his profit?”

In 1970 (New Math)
“A logger exchanges a set L of lumber for a set M of money. The cardinality of set M is 100, and each element is worth $1. Make one hundred dots representing the elements of the set M. The set C of costs of production contains 20 fewer points than the set M. Represent the set C as a subset of M, and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set P of profits?”

In 1980
“A logger sells a truckload of wood for $100. His cost of production is $80, and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.”

In 1990
“By cutting down beautiful forest trees, a logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making money? (Topic for class participation: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel?”