Contrary to popular belief, the wars of tomorrow won’t be fought in the trenches. They’ll be fought in labs and lecture halls around the world. Powerful minds, rather than powerful machines, will prevail. And if powerful machines are to prevail, then powerful minds will be required to create such machines. China, the United States’ biggest … Continue reading “Could the Game of Chess Help Create Smarter STEM Students?”
Does the average person have any idea what is now considered “normal” in the field of K-12 education? I already had some misgivings after reading Jay Schalin’s devastating review of the curricula in education schools: The Politicization of University Schools of Education: The Long March through the Education Schools. Nevertheless, I was unprepared for what … Continue reading “Math Teachers are Taught that Elementary Math Education is a “Struggle for Justice””
Entry-level math courses such as college algebra and introductory statistics are required in most universities, regardless of major. Math courses are required because they are a crucial part of every student’s education—even if a student is not majoring in mathematics or engineering. The skills and cognitive development acquired through math classes are essential to any … Continue reading “Did You Know? Student Math Grades Vary in UNC System”
“Woke” academics have taken to attacking almost everything that’s traditional in our culture. Math and science are denounced for their “whiteness,” and Shakespeare has to be replaced by writers from “marginalized groups.” Now, it’s music that is on the chopping block. As reported in The Post Millennial, “woke” professors at Oxford University are advocating a … Continue reading “Higher Education Takes Aim at ‘Colonialist’ Music”
When it comes to math performance, the United States has a pitiful record. Each year, about 1 million students enroll in college algebra and about 50 percent of those students fail to earn a “C” or better. And according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. considerably underperforms in high school … Continue reading “Do the Math…or Not”
Following a growing trend in education called critical mathematics, the Seattle Public School system recently released a framework incorporating ethnic studies into their K-12 mathematics curriculum. It has a noble objective: To reduce the disparity in mathematics achievement between white students and students of color by teaching how different cultures have developed and employed mathematics … Continue reading “Mathematics as a Liberator”
Most colleges and universities have a math requirement. Students must successfully complete a certain number of math courses (usually just one) to graduate. At many institutions, the requirement is met by passing college algebra (CA). This course studies properties of functions and their graphs with an emphasis on the algebraic and graphical techniques that are … Continue reading “A Meaningful Math Requirement: College Algebra or Something Else?”
Conventional wisdom has it that America desperately needs more STEM graduates, but “it just ain’t so.”