People would assume this kid was making a big mistake putting him far from the actual answer of 2..

What i see is a kid on the right track to discovering a new way of solving this equation where ;
30
-28
-------
1,-8

0-8 =-8, 3-2= 1

The place of 1 accounts per units of ten..
So 1 will represent 1 unit of 10 or the value 10..

the place of -8 represents units of 1.. So -8 will represent -8 units of 1... That gives us a deficit of -8..

The only way we can fill that deficit is to take it out of the only place we have to take it from. That is the 1 unit of 10..
So we have in the end result: 10-8=2... 2 is the answer..

If i were to step up to help him, i would leave his 18 in place to encourage him that he had the right idea, then i would put a comma in between the 1 & 8, then i would put a - symbol in front of his 8... From there i would follow through with what i outlined above... This student would be much more excited and in tune with learning if he is encouraged within his own train of thought and led forward through it to the right result... Most people would cancel his method out completely and start him all over again without the slightest notion that they are just as blind to other options as he is to theirs....

In reality and the arbitrary nature of pure mathematics, this young boy is closer to the right answer than most of us would have imagined as we were set on correcting him through a whole different avenue of approach...
He is more likely to discover a new method while pondering his error, than any of us who would call him stupid and and try to bring him backwards to better wisdom to be stuck on board the common yet limited way of solving equations...
ARE WE NOT ARBITRARY IN A WORLD OF INFINITE POSSIBILITIES...

Eh?

OP you need psychiatric attention

Ezedon:
OP you need psychiatric attention

There is a new math system called Common Core being used in USA, it is even more elaborate than what i outlined.. Many people are confused by it, but it goes to show that people have been mentally conditioned to think of math as a one road absolute process... There are many intricate ways to solve equations and people need to open their minds to that instead of confounding the minds of the young generation coming afterwards... The truth is :we are becoming outdated in our old methods, people teaching in this generation need to check their minds and methods so as to set free the next generation to the real potential waiting out there in the future.... Be open minded and learn something new... The world is not flat and math equations are not flat out limited to one method of solving..

[url][/url]http://vimeo.com/110807219?linkId=10674538

another view

[url][/url]http://vimeo.com/110807219?linkId=10674538