Have your dc learnt about binary / counting in bases other than 10 in maths?

[Sadik]

Just curious - dd went on an event today for yr 10 pupils interested in taking maths/further maths A level. She was telling me about it, and that in one of the sessions the opening qu. was along the lines of 'who knows what binary is'. She gave a minimal summary answer assuming this was a noddy-lets-get-this-started question, but it became apparant that many of the others there either hadn't heard of binary at all or didn't really understand what it was.

We talked about it, and she says that she thinks they haven't ever actually studied non-base 10 counting in school (she knows about it because 'well, y'know, it just is, isn't it').

I'm sure even in the depths of history 1970s we did non-base-10 counting in primary (at a minimal level - wiggling our toes to count in base 20 - that sort of thing). I also don't quite see how you understand place value if you don't do not-base-10-counting? (Or understand how your computer works if you don't know what binary is )

Now that is random, noble

Gove-what a twat!

My A Level Computer Science students have always done fixed and floating point binary as well, including normalising them in Two's Complement form. Now that's always fun!

We showed our DC for fun when they were about 6 or 7 (not geniuses, but quite keen on mathsy stuff). I wonder why it's not in the curriculum, given it is fun, useful (on the computing side) and reinforces the concept of place value.

noble
probably just their teachers then - trying to flesh out the bits of the course that were there

and yes, Gove is an utter Twat

I remember doing it in year 10 or 11, can't remember which.

It was in the original draft for year 6 Except there was the most almighty fuss made about it and I'm assuming it must have been dropped.

Although, now you mention Roman numerals, I think it was those that were in the Rose curriculum, not binary.

Fun fact: Casio calculators used to convert to binary and hexadecimal, which is why they have A,B,C,D,E,F on them and you could type ICE ICE BABY.

Then they took the other base options away but left the A B C D E F as you can use them as variables to store values.

Now they have reinstated changing base on later models, but loads of kids are sitting comp science with calcs that can't do hexadecimal but look like they should.

I wonder why it's not in the curriculum

But it is on the curriculum, as Kitty has pointed out!

but loads of kids are sitting comp science with calcs that can't do hexadecimal but look like they should.

Calculators are not allowed in the current GCSE or A Level Computing/Computer Science exams and we have also had confirmation that they are not allowed in the new GCSE 9-1 Computer Science course or the A Level Computer Science exams....

Back in the '80s, we did number bases at age 10 or 11. I work in IT and definitely use hex on a daily basis and binary on a less frequent basis and occasionally octal numbers. I had a "21 again" party when I turned 33...

I guess it's only in the curriculum if you study computer science (or is that everyone in England now?)

Not maths but year 7 computing. Binary and hex. Converting both ways with decimal, adding, subtractions and multiplication.

Calculators are not allowed in the current GCSE

The kids I showed how to use them didn't mention that, maybe they just wanted to check homework! I just googled and there are some studentroom threads where kids talk about being allowed calcs in the exam and others saying their teacher said no so it seems a bit confused tbh.

Definitely since 2012, no calculators have been allowed in any of the Exam boards' exams (inc EdExcel, AQA AND Eduqas)! I hope your students therefore now how to convert hexadecimal without one noblegiraffe but not your problem obviously and it doesn't surprise me about The Student Room-so much mis-information on there about the subject

(It's very easy!!)

Sadiq As I said above, it's in the KS1 - 2 curriculum (know that computers understand on/off, 1 and 0 and in the KS3 curriculum under Data Representation (convert, add and left and right shift).

It is new though (only in second year) so may take time to filter through/change schemes of work.

Kitty That exam front page says 'calculators are allowed in this exam'. I'm so confused!

Oh god! I'm an idiot! Yes it does! Was following on from Blissx's post and my students have never needed one as we've also only taught the non-calc method! It's this paper I've been teaching to, for the past year.

We did binary and other base counting systems in Y7 in 1967; I still remember getting very muddled. It was the first taste of maths that wasn't arithmetic, at which I was quite good.

Its often taught in primary maths, but if you don't learn it there, I don't think there is any space for it in the secondary curriculum, unless studying computer science.

DD (y10) has done binary and hex, but that has been in GCSE Computing, not GCSE or KS3 maths.

Just seen on Twitter:

Why are jokes in base 8 not funny?

Because 7 10 11

Is this like cusinare rods?

noble (still prefer the one I posted upthread though)

Darjeeling not really. Cusinare rods help people get a grip on the reality of number bonds and things. I'm not sure they would be much help with counting in different bases.

Ooh there's a follow-up to yours, Teen

There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who didn't expect this joke to be in base 3.