Do the kids today get taught new times tables and properties of multiplication that forego ages and ages of prior math training?

In “my day” we were taught that multiplication was one of the most straight forward types of basic math…and by that I mean: 8 times 12 was the same as 12 times 8 or 96.

I doesn’t matter the order, it doesn’t matter, even, if it is 12 x 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 x 8 which are both also, equal to 96.

You still get the same number.

But, these are new times and in this world, if you write the equation the wrong way, the teacher (following the math answer key) marks the problem wrong, even when it is right. Then, when you argue with the teacher that they are doing a disservice to the student, you are made to feel like you are the idiot, when clearly…one of us is more of a genius than the other. The really sad part is that the student will never live up to their fullest potential (at least where math is concerned.)

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl