Dumbing down further

[vettecat]

As if kids' math skills weren't bad enough... now Monopoly is going to stop using paper money and include a money calculator instead. Way to promote learning to manage money, people...

Comments

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

...

What the hell fun is that? I turn into frickin' Lucy Van Pelt when I get a good hefty rent or Community Chest gift. God help you all when I get the house-rules Free Parking jackpot.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

It does seem to take the fun out of it. It's much more gratifying when you can cackle over a half-inch stack of 500s.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

It sounds less like a math skills issue and more like they want kids to become familiar with credit cards at a young age. In some ways, that could be a good thing; too many college students get credit card offers and then run up huge balances, because they don't know how to handle personal debt. If little kids go bankrupt in Monopoly often enough using the credit card and calculator system, maybe it'll teach them something.

But yeah, I prefer Monopoly money when playing.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Familiarizing them with credit cards is an interesting idea... except they probably don't use interest, which is the main danger in real life.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

That is so sad.

I remember when I was in college I was an Pre-algebra tutor. I found it rather frustrating that the people I was tutoring didn't have the basic math skills. They could not add, subtract, multiply or divide without a calculator. I had to teach the basics before I could tutor the COLLEGE LEVEL PRE-algebra. How they ever got to college I don't know. These people couldn't balance a checkbook without a calculator.

I think part of it is they no longer have to figure out change at cash registers, it's either already figured out for them on the register or things are put on credit or debit cards. People put way too much trust in machines now.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. When I worked as a cashier in high school, I learned how to punch in numbers, but sometimes the machine wouldn't work and you had to be able to figure it out manually. It's gotten much worse since then; cashiers give me weird looks if I give them a little extra so I can get back an easier-to-manage amount of change. I've heard that they're even giving kids calculators in elementary school now. What's the point?

[sethg]

Can these calculators show a negative balance? Can players loan money to one another at 18% interest per turn, and let the calculators keep track of the debt? I see all sorts of potential here....

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

It could be interesting if various real-life variables were introduced, but I think it's just a fancy record-keeping system.

[pressburger.livejournal.com]

But what happens when you come across a property that onlu takes Aemrican Express?

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Then you have to pay cash... whoops, never mind...

[pressburger.livejournal.com]

You see the conundrum...

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Maybe they'll start including gold kruggerands.

[pressburger.livejournal.com]

I'll suggest it.