I’ve been reading blog posts about math like this one, in which a common theme is that we need to return to “basic” or “regular” math skills and dispense with the constructivist programs that were so popular in the last decade or two. I’ve read about people who are frustrated with the idea that children […]
A New York Times Magazine article titled Building a Better Teacher appeared last March. It’s an excellent contribution to the debate about what makes a good teacher. As the article describes, it’s not enough to care a lot; there are many caring teachers who can’t get their students’ attention to teach them anything. Being a […]
The Urban Word of the Day today was “cerebral bulimia,” defined as “binging and purging of the brain.” Doesn’t that sound familiar? It calls to mind all the useless studying in which facts are crammed into temporary storage in the brain, dumped out on paper (or computer) for a test, and promptly forgotten. This can, […]
New York State is putting teachers and students under more pressure by revising the required scores on standardized tests for students to achieve proficiency. Why are they doing this? Apparently it is because despite passing Regents tests, almost 25% of the students need extra support once they reach college. How will they afford “remediation” for […]