If you have 1/2 of an apple and 2/3 of a pear, how much fruit do you have?

Who ever would have thought that a math professor would be advocating that fractions not be taught in schools to young children anymore? (http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-23-fractions_N.htm)

There are many good reasons for teaching fractions:

1. We don't use the metric system, so if you want to do anything involving any sort of distance, volume, quantity in the imperial system, you need fractions. (We'll not discuss how I'm still a bit uncertain at reading a f-ing inch-demoninated ruler, and VASTLY prefer centimeters)
2. The right of passage that is suffering through years of being forced to learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions by hand. (I vaguely remember how to do these tasks, but maybe that's because it's almost second nature and I don't have to think about it?)
3. The joys that those mean bitches who get jobs as elementary school teachers get from torturing their innocent students with endless fractions-problems. (Guess what Mrs. Mean 4th Grade Teacher From Hell, I still don't do math fast-- if I ever was on a bus that would blow up if I didn't add/subtract fractions quick enough, we'd all be toast)
4. Surely there's another.... oh, yes. The conceptualization of partial units. Seriously, when was the last time you had a subtract fractions? (I'm not sure that I even know how to do it, now that I think about it) But when was the last time you dealt with the concept of a part of a whole? My point exactly.

Kids need fractions, calculators or not. Metric system or not. And as much as I hate to say it, Mrs. Loud, Fat Shrew With Stirrup Tights (evil 3rd grade teacher) might have done me a favour, when she wasn't breaking my spirit.

Yet again, not RoW material. I promise a RoW posting very shortly.