Googling Your Way Out of It
Posted By AmyD. on September 15, 2010
Nothing quite says “back to school” like a fresh outbreak of “we’re here to help your kid” tutoring websites, right? After all, since the creation of Google most parents don’t even have to help with homework anymore.
“I don’t know how to dooooooooooo thiiiiiiiisssss!!!”
And the standard parental reply has become, “Google it and check YouTube, guaranteed some jackass did a video on adding fractions and converting fractions to decimals.”
But, with the availability of online tutoring I have to admit that my kids have it easier than I did. After all, I had to know how to use the Dewey Decimal system at the library and, believe me, it was a huge deal when I was old enough to start searching via microfiche for school reports. Now my kids trip on over to the computer and whip out reports and papers in little to no time at all it seems.
Kate has always had near-supernatural math abilities. She was able to skip Algebra and leap right to a higher math class. Ethan has always done well in math to the point of enjoying statistics. Maggie seems to be following along with the trend which makes me incredibly happy because math wasn’t exactly my strong suit.
I’ve joined the ranks of a lot of parents who don’t necessarily have to admit to not remembering what we learned in high school math. I keep thinking of that scene in “Peggy Sue Got Married” where Kathleen Turner says, “Well, Mr Snelgrove, I happen to know that in the future I will not have the slightest use for algebra, and I speak from experience.”
Fortunately, with the internet parents can google their way out of having to admit to being confused over 5th grade math or not knowing the formula for volume.
After all we replaced that knowledge with new, useful information like calculating how long you can postpone paying the electricity bill before they shut you off AND determining where the “do it yourself” line ends and the “hire a #$%%# professional” begins.
The truth is that high school Algebra 2 has very little to do with my every day life. Not that math doesn’t play a big part in my daily life, I spend a lot of time adding up the cost of all the lights, televisions and other appliances I run around shutting off behind kids who have no concept of how much electricity costs these days. I just don’t take any time graphing linear equations over it.
About The Author
Ok. I’m on a homeschooling preaching roll apparently.
Look, my 15 year old is taking algebra, and while I *can* do it, teaching him with inadequate materials was driving me to drink….and I’m allergic. (To both liquor and algebra apparently.)
So even for parents with public school kids, I would recommend Teaching Textbooks. Yeah I’m SURE they will be thrilled with the thought of additional homework, but instead see if you can just get the lecture disks. You’ll have to look up and see where they are within the disks, but the way the teach…. Heck even I am getting proficient in algebra. They go to lower grades, I’m not sure how low. and Um, GOOD LUCK!