Comments on: Going the Distance http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:05:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: clay burell http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-51270 clay burell Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:41:58 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-51270 My first practical use of metric was in the US Army when I was based in Germany. We had to know km for map-reading and land navigation, electronic warfare, etc. I'll leave the ironic implications for the reader. I felt like an idiot during my years in Europe, and still do here in Asia when I have to buy gasoline, shoes, clothes, and when asked my weight and height. I get the "dumbass" look when I say "5 foot 10" or 170 pounds. You'd think our government would want to spare us the honor of embarrassing our national reputation. Wait...no you wouldn't. My first practical use of metric was in the US Army when I was based in Germany. We had to know km for map-reading and land navigation, electronic warfare, etc. I’ll leave the ironic implications for the reader.

I felt like an idiot during my years in Europe, and still do here in Asia when I have to buy gasoline, shoes, clothes, and when asked my weight and height. I get the “dumbass” look when I say “5 foot 10″ or 170 pounds. You’d think our government would want to spare us the honor of embarrassing our national reputation. Wait…no you wouldn’t.

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50997 Doug Noon Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:53:55 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50997 This has been really interesting, hearing how people outside the US have adapted. I assumed that "going metric" meant just that, but those of you who've been converted describe hybrid situations. Culture plays a bigger role than I realized, and illustrates the difficulty of systemic change. This has been really interesting, hearing how people outside the US have adapted. I assumed that “going metric” meant just that, but those of you who’ve been converted describe hybrid situations. Culture plays a bigger role than I realized, and illustrates the difficulty of systemic change.

]]> By: Susan http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50959 Susan Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:14:53 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50959 I have had pretty much Stephen Downes experience being taught in metric measure and knowing my height and weight in feet and pounds respectively. I'm working on improving this for my own kids using centimeters and kilograms for their heights and weights but I still find it a bit difficult despite the fact that I know that a finger width is approximately 1 cm (a little big but great for grade schoolers), from my shoulder to the tips of my fingers on the other side is a meter (elbow out to fingers on the other side for my students) and my hand is approximately 10 centimeters or a decimeter wide. I have a cook book that gives all the measures for store purchases in metric but the measurements for cooking in cups and teaspoons, etc. It's a Canadian book and reflects the mixed Canadian food measures. It is wonderful for students in upper level maths and sciences to have their grounding in the system that is standard in the scientific community. Now if you guys did go metric maybe that would trickle down over here for dimensional lumber etc. Although similarly to Stephen, inches or centimeters - makes no difference to me. I have had pretty much Stephen Downes experience being taught in metric measure and knowing my height and weight in feet and pounds respectively. I’m working on improving this for my own kids using centimeters and kilograms for their heights and weights but I still find it a bit difficult despite the fact that I know that a finger width is approximately 1 cm (a little big but great for grade schoolers), from my shoulder to the tips of my fingers on the other side is a meter (elbow out to fingers on the other side for my students) and my hand is approximately 10 centimeters or a decimeter wide. I have a cook book that gives all the measures for store purchases in metric but the measurements for cooking in cups and teaspoons, etc. It’s a Canadian book and reflects the mixed Canadian food measures. It is wonderful for students in upper level maths and sciences to have their grounding in the system that is standard in the scientific community.

Now if you guys did go metric maybe that would trickle down over here for dimensional lumber etc. Although similarly to Stephen, inches or centimeters - makes no difference to me.

]]> By: mike http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50904 mike Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:06:07 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50904 We want to GO Metric NOW. WE want to remove the old US customary measuring system and WE WILL DO IT. www.metrication.us We want to GO Metric NOW. WE want to remove the old US customary measuring system and WE WILL DO IT.

http://www.metrication.us

]]> By: Mike http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50881 Mike Thu, 20 Sep 2007 23:16:07 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/09/19/going-the-distance/#comment-50881 In the UK the situation is complex. Metric measures are seen outside of the classroom, but my generation and my parent's generation still think in Imperial measures. I was taught Imperial measures as a child, coped with decimalisation as a young adult, and now in middle age drift back and fore between the two. As a teacher I worked exclusively in metrics while frantically trying to convert in my head. In my experience working in metric measures is so much easier than imperial, all maths education should be done in base ten. Period. Here in Europe, the EU had legislation relating to full metrication for member countries. But now they've changed the rules as this news item shows. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6988521.stm In the UK the situation is complex. Metric measures are seen outside of the classroom, but my generation and my parent’s generation still think in Imperial measures.

I was taught Imperial measures as a child, coped with decimalisation as a young adult, and now in middle age drift back and fore between the two.

As a teacher I worked exclusively in metrics while frantically trying to convert in my head. In my experience working in metric measures is so much easier than imperial, all maths education should be done in base ten. Period.

Here in Europe, the EU had legislation relating to full metrication for member countries.
But now they’ve changed the rules as this news item shows.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6988521.stm

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