Algorithm

Alright folks, it's finally that time.  No longer will you be encumbered by those crazy multiplication algorithms us teachers have been poisoning your children's mind with.  It's time for every 5th grade student to learn the traditional multiplication algorithm.

I remember a conversation I had with a professor of math a few years ago.  After explaining the partial products algorithm and talking about how much I loved that the kids were actually understanding the concepts behind solving multiplication questions, he replied, "The point of an algorithm is to get the right answer as quickly as possible. Sounds like a waste of time to me."

On one level, I can understand where he was coming from.  Do I need to understand every element of a car's engine, or is the concept of combustion enough?  If a student understands the concept of multiplication, do they need to understand every step of the algorithm?

Cars are an intergal part of our life, as is multiplication.  The truth is, I'd love love to understand a bit more about how my car works, especially the parts that will need to be repaired soon. Maybe if I grew up with that explicit understanding, then I could put it to better use.  Maybe the same will be said by our students in the future about multiplication.

For now, let's get the right answer as quickly as possible.  Here are some resources to help out!

First off, if your student still needs practice with their multiplication facts, these skills reviews are fun:

Skills Tune Up

The link below will take you to a page containing step-by-step videos on executing the traditional algorithm.  

Instructions to locate the animations can be found here. 

Your EDM Online login information can be found by clicking the images of the password cards at the bottom of this page.