Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-05
TEACHERS TALKING.
Interesting and Instructive Discussions NJ
the Normal Meeting satufuhN
Alarming.

saturday mOTuins iheiV "es -
attendance of the teachers OF the Guy
schools at the first meeting OF the
wear, held at the Walden building.
The teachers were called 10 ORDER at
about $3.50 by Superintendent Alex.
Hogg, who stated the subject for dis
cussion was "The proper order of irac-
tions, or that decimals should be
taught before vulgar or common irac-
TONS He called upon
PROF. +. c. Snow
to open the discussion of the subject.
This gentleman took the floor in an
easy manner, betokening the expert
enccd teacher, and proceeded In very
logical and ineligible address to give
the results of his comparison OF the
old and new order of teaching this
pleasing part of the arithmetical work.
He said that in discussing the subject
! he though he ought to show the why
| and then the how, or In other words,
! first show why decimal fractions may
| be taught before common fractions,
and then show how they should be
| taught. There were always difficulties
In taking new roads, and II was only
! after becoming acquainted that we
were sure of them. In any discussion
we must have point from which to
start, and it was of Importance TO cor
rectly select that starting point. In
the teaching of the decimal fraction,
we should take that which we know
| is most directly connected with IL TO
precede. Let us first compare deci-
| NAL fractions with common fractions,
and see how closely they are con-
nccted, and then compare decimals
and whole numbers so ms to get their
connection, and see which are most
closely related. First compare with
common fractions. Take the multi
plication of . by %. Accord
ing to the method pursued with COM
mon fractions, this would be pressed
three-tenths times iive-tenths, and
multiplying the numerators and de-
nominators together we get fifteen one
hundredths, otherwise expressed, 10.
1t would be easy to deduce rule for
the process from this. As decimal frac-
tions were only a class of common
fractions and could not be separated
from them, it looked as il they could
not be taught first. Next compare
decimal fractions width whole mum.
| bers, and we would find the same ratio
vi inNINti0t w bihNlN VI w llblt nhlllDtiS
and decrease of orders of decimal frac-
tiOns from the point. There was no
mcIe difficulty in reading one than
the other, as shown by illustrations.
Multiplying whole numbers we had
5x3-l5. Multiplying the decimals
we had ,5X.3-.l5. There was no more
difficulty Tor the child in this than in
multiplying by number of two fig
ures. Take 80 by %. In multiplying
. 10y > we would say . times equal 10.
But in multiplying in this example,
our multiplier being ten times as large
as two, being in the next or
tens order, will give Il
result ten times as large. In null
tiplying decimals, taking % by 3 we
multiply by number ten times as
small as so many units, and therefore
the result must be ten times as small.
The relation then was closer between
the decimal and the interger that be-
tween the decimal and the common
fraction. All these points were nicely
elaborated and illustrated by the
speaker. He also showed that opera
tons of common fractions could not be
treated like those of decimal fractions,
because ratio the of the consecutive
orders was lacking, The address was
given in very lucid style that made
every point elucidated n palpable hit.
The most careful attention was paid
by the corps.
PROF. W. ID. GERARD
was next called upon by the superin-
tendent to discuss the same subject.
He acknowledged, however that Prof.
Snow had said nearly everything
there was to say, so fully had he
handled the subject. He gave some
further Illustrations, practical and
tending to show more conclusive
ly that the teaching of
decimal fractions should precede that
OF common fractions. He carried the
Illustration to the process
OF dividing, showing that re-
moving the decimal point to the left
was the direct transposition of the pro-
cess of that multiplication by anneXing
ophers He said the processes with dec
imals We're only continuation of the
process with whole numbers. 1t took
more advanced pupils to un-
derstand their multiplication and di-
vision, however, than their addition
and subtraction. But one who could
understand the process of long divis-
ion should also be able to understand
these. All work of pupils should be
made gradually harder, so that no too
great difficulties should be encoun.
tered. He acknowledged that the teach
ing OF decimal before common frac-
tions seemed more natural than the
old order after them, but said he
would not he entirely satisfied in ref
erence to it until he had made the
matter one of experience.
He exhibited thorough
study and mastery of the subject, and
his illustrations were all clear and
pointed.
MRS. WALDEN
responded to n call. She said she had
always taught common fractions first,
but she saw the advantage of teaching
decimals first. She always taught the
why of processes. One of the beauties
of this system she thought was that in
teaching the multiplication and divi-
sion of decimals the same principles
were taught that had to be used in
teaching the multiplication aud divi-
sion of whole numbers. She would
certainly adopt the order in her teach
ing hereafter.
PROF.. FRANK WILSON