Hey Old Hen! My automatic dishwasher went belly-up several months ago. Presently we can't afford to get it repaired. So I have been doing our dishes the old fashioned way, by hand in the sink!!! I'm getting arthritis in my hands and doing dishes the old way has actually made them feel better. Must be the almost hot water and the action of washing dishes. So there is something to be positive about.

Never mind cursive writing, how about writing in general? I gave a beautiful quilt to a young (26 & 34 yr.olds) couple for their wedding. The thank you was an email! Guess I should be happy I received that! I should talk, I never write a letter, just email or phone or text.

I have trained a lot of teenagers (and my own sons) and it is amazing to me that they do not learn this in school. I began tutoring math all through my boys school adventures. The teenagers that I taught were shocked how easy and accurate it is to count money back that way.

On a side note: I was at the gym the other day and bought a smoothie. The price was $5.94 and I gave the girl $6.00 and because the cash register did not tell her how much change to give me, she did not know. It was 6 cents, I was horrified. I noticed 2 days later and she no longer worked there. So sad.

I wonder how many students can do long division without a calculator? I bet not many.

I hav ealways counted change this way. I still do it just to have my own little revenge on impatient people behind me. :thumbup:

I can understand the need for a calculator in the advanced math my son [now 37] was taught how to do the problems on paper first then on the calc.He thought that was a waste of time his teacher said"And if your battery dies how will you ever get the answer" to pass my course and later keep your job? Its not just math. English seems to have taken a back seat on the bus as well ? Do they even TEACH the fundamentals any more.

When my son started college in engineering, he was NOT allowed to use the calculator in one math class. Each problem would take 5 or 6 pages to work out by hand and they could not erase! They had to show the mistake and how they "fixed" it.

Last year, after 12 years as a media specialist in my district, I went back into the classroom to teach 4th grade math and science after the district did away with school librarians. I was stunned that the district's math program (adopted by our curriculum dept. and school board) did not advocate memorization of basic math facts and kids were encouraged to count on fingers and/or use calculators. I know not every child can memorize math facts easily, but all can memorize some! I encourage it, but am told I am not teaching the curriculum the way it is written. I really worry about what will happen when these kids are adults. When I give a quiz on basic facts, you can almost feel a breeze in the classroom from so many kids counting on their fingers. But by the time I get them in 4th grade, their habits are set. They can't add 6 plus 6 yet and I have to teach them multiplication, division, and long division!

YES, & how about catching the dishonest ones too. I gave a $20, & got change back-for a $10...called him on it & he says without blinking an eye-oh I just thought you gave me a $10---I worked in retail & trained cashiers, there are a few that are slick enough to pocket the extra as the customer has the right to demand the drawer pulled & tallied to the sales-& of course the drawer tallies-but I caught a few too.

Counting on the fingers should be for 1st, 2nd, maybe 3rd. Our 4th graders are expected to memorize the multiplication tables and are given tests on them. BUT they do not fail if they fail to do so. And they "learn" the facts for the test but then quickly forget it. Then the 5th grade teachers have to let the kids use the calculators or use fingers or just look at a chart to get the work done. They can't hold up a whole class to "re-learn" last year's work.

The kid's just say, "I'll always have my phone (with calculator) with me. I don't need to know this." The parents don't insist on these things because they just want their darlings to get an A in class. And the "experts" say their lack of memory is because of computers; the knowledge they fail to learn is always at their fingertips.

'Round and 'round we go!