I think liking the story problems best in school is a prerequisite for becoming an engineer.
The last link is interesting, but I think they over-dimension the problem with Prose, Document, and Health Literacy, and Numeracy and Problem Solving. To me, Can you read, and can you comprehend and use what you are reading are lower and higher scores on the same dimension of literacy. Similarly, I view numeracy and (mathematical) problem solving as degrees on a scale. As my professional life consisted of being an engineer, then managing engineers, I may not be the best person to design numeracy courses for the innumerate. However, I have had some success with reasonably bright people who were being poorly taught. At my daughter's wedding, three of her friends said they passed math ONLY because of me. As I hadn't taught them anything, I was VERY surprised. I had helped my daughter with some math concepts that in my opinion were being very poorly taught in her high school. She grasped them quickly enough that any teacher who failed to get them across should be mortified. She then went on to help her friends with the understanding I had given her. So, indirectly, I had taught them after all. "Teach a man to fish" and all that. ________________________________ From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, June 25, 2010 2:49:06 AM Subject: [USMA:47961] Re: Another application of millimetres On 2010/06/25, at 11:47 , John M. Steele wrote: School teaches us to be really good at sliding decimal points around. I don't find that a problem at all. Dear John, From your remark I think that we can safely say that you are numerate – even highly numerate! However, in planning a metrication program for your community (school, work group, company, industry, or national) we probably need to plan more carefully for the people whose numeracy is lower than yours rather than planning for you and the few other highly numerate people. Consider these reports at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160441/The-maths-dunces-Nearly-7-million-baffled-sums-child-do.html http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/a-disaster-you-do-the-maths-20100514-v48x.html?rand=1273825241279 and at http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Latestproducts/4228.0Main%20Features22006%20(Reissue)?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4228.0&issue=2006%20(Reissue)&num=&view= to give you a feel for this subject. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/ to subscribe. On 2010/06/25, at 11:47 , John M. Steele wrote: School teaches us to be really good at sliding decimal points around. I don't find that a problem at all. What I do find to be a problem is restarting the 1-99 numbering after each meter mark. If foot markings are that way, one is always close enough to read. I may be 0.5 m away from the nearest integer meter mark, and it can be a problem to get the most significant digit correct. > >The other minor problem on dual tapes is that the metric scale is always on >the bottom. That is a bit clumsy for the way I mark things off. > >Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen a ruler or tape direct reading in >millimeters. The numbers are ALWAYS centimeters with 10 millimeter hash marks >in between (5th larger). You have to add trailing zero, then the millimeter >marks mentally. But I don't see it as much of a problem. > > > > ________________________________ From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> >To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >Sent: Thu, June 24, 2010 8:53:59 PM >Subject: [USMA:47956] Re: Another application of millimetres > > >On 2010/06/25, at 08:01 , John M. Steele wrote: >> >>In general, metric tools are easy; socket, open end, and allen wrenches, >>etc. But metric only measuring tapes are rare. > > >Dear John, > > >And, sadly, millimetre only tapes and rules are even more rare. >See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/centimetresORmillimetres.pdf > > >Cheers, > >Pat Naughtin >Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders >Guide, seehttp://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html >Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY >PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, >Geelong, Australia >Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 > > >Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped >thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric >system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands >each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat >provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and >professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in >Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, >Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the >USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/ to subscribe. > > >> >> ________________________________ From: Paul Armstrong <[email protected]> >>To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >>Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> >>Sent: Thu, June 24, 2010 4:50:56 PM >>Subject: [USMA:47947] Re: Another application of millimetres >> >> >>At 2010-06-23T18:16-0700, John M. Steele wrote: >>> Be that as it may, it beats measuring in inches and converting as the >>> article suggests. >>> >>> Dual is easy to find here, metric-only is generally not sold in DIY >>> stores, you have to buy on eBay, or maybe from a pro tool company. >> >>I haven't gotten around to blogging it yet, but I recently got some for >>some home project work: >>http://www.duckworksbbs.com/tools/measure/index.htm >> >>Metric drill bits are fairly easy to come by on Amazon. >> >>Paul >> >> > >
