The Alamo
San Antonio, TX
2013/03/06
Often the bane of elementary school students, long division tends to have a bad reputation. Hearing “I used to like math… until long division” is not uncommon. It is as if long division was out there on the playground, turning kids upside down and skating them down for lunch money. If only it were that simple. I am willing for young people to learn lessons about knuckleheads, brutes, and how to ask nicely when one has lost their lunch. But, to have future mathematicians lost to long division, it shan’t be. (Well… It may still happen, but I don’t like it.)
I like long division.
Long division is one of the first algorithms we learn. I suppose multi-digit multiplication is too, but long division really drives home the notion of a mathematical process. One really can get a lather, rinse, repeat experience with long division.
Long division is like knitting. I don’t knit, but I imagine it is similar except for the needles, yarn, darn sock, and so forth. Let me try again…
Long division is like dancing. It takes patience, poise, confidence,
and
a willingness to learn the steps. It’s a bit like this:
What times this is close to that?
Multiply what times this.
Subtract the result from that.
Bring down the next digit,
and make a new that.
Repeat.
It may seem complicated, but how do we learn to dance? To sing? To knit? To play guitar? To perform long division?
Practice.
Khan Academy can help you practice division with remainders. And, Esa Helttula made a Long Division app for the iP* to help you learn the steps.
PS. One of my all time favorite bands, Fugazi, has a song titled Long Division: “This is a parting, some separation, we lay in pieces, cracked to survive.”
Footpath Math: Chalk it up to a math geek 
But where’s the photo?!? That’s my favorite part. 🙂
I am glad you asked. The trip to San Antonio and the Alamo is part of a series of day trips with some students. Yesterday in 1836 happened to be the day of the final assault of Mexican forces against the forces at the Alamo. There was a fair amount of excitement at the Alamo yesterday. Plus, the actual letter from William Travis with the “Victory or Death” message was on display. I wanted to get the post published last night so my URL would have yesterday’s date in it. I didn’t quite have the steam to get the images uploaded, too. Photos are there now.
Awesome! This is one of my favorite treats when you post!
Thanks! It really is my pleasure. I have some new things up my chalky sleeve. I hope you’ll enjoy them as well.