Dear Martin, This was the accepted approach to education in about 1916 when Maria Montessori was the keynote speaker at the formation conference of the USMA so this is what she, no doubt spoke about there. We now have vastly more experience from all around the world based on actual experience with the metrication process in applications of technology and engineering. Mathematics and science are proving to be somewhat slower because that are approaching this from a metrology point of view where high levels of numeracy are taken for granted (as I suppose it should be in their communities).
I think we know a lot more about the metrication process in 2011. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia On 2011/02/09, at 06:31 , Martin Vlietstra wrote: > The Montesouri teaching system uses centimetres. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of James R. Frysinger > Sent: 07 February 2011 22:29 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Cc: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:49797] Re: STEM metric proposal > > Tim, > > There are plenty of us out here (scientists, engineers, consultants, > ordinary people, etc.) who disagree with Robert's position on > centimeters. We happen to think that they are just fine and dandy. > > In fact, you may have read some of my recent postings about teaching > kindergartners to measure things in centimeters (that scale best suits > them) and to use a meter stick marked off in centimeters but not > millimeters as a number line to accomplish addition of two-digit numbers. > > If it makes you feel any better, centimeters are considered to be just > fine and dandy by the likes of the CGPM, the CIPM, and the BIPM. And, > hey! They are the ones who maintain and administer the SI! > > Nobody is forcing Robert or the others in his camp to use centimeters > against their will. Do not allow them to force you to shun centimeters > against your will. I would like to see Americans adopt the entire SI, > not just the parts favored by some people. > > Jim > > On 2011-02-07 1614, Robert H. Bushnell wrote: >> 201 Feb 7 >> Tim, >> 1. You have an error in the cost of item 1) >> The error is in line d. (which you list as c.) >> 1000 x $280.00 is $280,000.00, not $2,800,000.00. >> >> 2. For the classroom kit item 1) you show 30 cm rulers. >> Society should generally avoid centimeter. Centimeter is too coarse a >> unit and does severe damage in commercial use and to efforts to get >> rid of inch-pound units. I recommend that item 1) be 300 mm rulers. >> >> 200 mm rulers from USMA show 20 cm on the back (without >> millimeter marks). This is a mistake and is useful only for first >> grade teaching to count. We do not need to contaminate >> measurement with centimeter. Counting can be taught with other tools. >> >> Good luck. >> Robert Bushnell >> >> >> >> > > -- > James R. Frysinger > 632 Stony Point Mountain Road > Doyle, TN 38559-3030 > > (C) 931.212.0267 > (H) 931.657.3107 > (F) 931.657.3108 > Pat Naughtin LCAMS 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 for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
