Was checking my 3rd graders math homework and spotted an error (at least in every math course I remember from my engineering degree). They are teaching to round UP every time you have a "5"! So a 4.5 rounded would be 5, and 45 rounded would be 50. Absolutely wrong from an engineering standpoint. We are taught to round to the EVEN number. So 4.5 would be 4, not 5. That way "statistically" speaking, you aren't always rounding in one direction thereby creating even more errors. Of course, even us engineers take liberties sometimes with the concept and round to the odd number on a "5". IF it makes the calculation more conservative.

Not a huge deal I guess. Maybe it's easier to teach the concept of rounding first, and then teach it the right way later for 3rd grade brains? Any teachers out there that know the theory? Drives me insane thought, thinking it's easier to just teach the "right" way in the first place.