Am I just imagining a trend here?

In one week the Wall Street Journal has published two fascinating articles about Math & Science education:

Study Finds Sharp Math, Science Skills Help Expand Economy

By SARA MURRAY
March 3, 2008; Page A2

Increased years of education boost economic growth -- but only if students' cognitive skills, as measured by math and science tests, are improved as a result, a new study says.

The study, released in this spring's issue of Education Next, an education-policy journal, concluded that if the U.S. performed on par with the world's leaders in science and math, it would add about two-thirds of a percentage point to the gross domestic product, or the total value of goods and services produced in a nation, every year.... MORE

Education Panel  Lays Out Truce  In Math Wars

Effort to Fix 'Broken' System Sets Targets for Each Grade, Avoids Taking Sides on Method

By JOHN HECHINGER
March 5, 2008; Page D1

A presidential panel, warning that a "broken" system of mathematics education threatens U.S. pre-eminence, says it has found the fix: A laserlike focus on the essentials... MORE

 

   

Comments

[Clyde Pelton]

I am meeting tomorrow with the Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools here in Lexington, KY. Two weeks ago, I purchased several copies of the documentary and sent the DVD to the Superintendent. I asked him to view it in advance of our meeting. I plan to discuss with him how we might partner to take your message to Lexington. I need to know if Robert and his team would allow a series of screenings of the film for parents and students at middle schools and, perhaps, high schools around Lexington. My company would proudly underwrite the screenings and cover the costs of marketing and advertising as well as facilities and other costs. I am personally passionate about this work and the good that it could do in our school system. I would also like to know the feasibility of bringing Robert to Lexington for a super screening of sorts at some point in the future.

Thank you and continued success.

Clyde Pelton
859-321-6893 MBL
859-335-8108 Office

[Vinay Bhardwal]

Theres another interesting comparison website www.2point6billion.com that also deals with India, China (Asia) and the impact on the global economy, especially that of the US. Good article here on relevant engineering standards:
http://www.2point6billion.com/2007/08/06/engineering-challenges-the-us-china-indian-innovation-race/

[Kenneth Golden]

Math education will not improve until the education of math teachers improves. This is especially true for elementary school teacher education. By the time students get through the sixth grade a majority of them are math phobic due primarily to the math phobia of their teachers. Look to the qualifications of professors in our teacher education programs and you will find that most are trained inadequately in the developmental methods necessary for math in elementary schools. You can't teach fractions if you don't understand the conceptual underpinnings of 1/2 / 1/2 yourself. All the rote drilling in the world will not overcome our problems if our students do not understand basic concepts. Currently we have math phobic student teachers sent for their student teaching into classrooms run by math phobic elementary school teachers, teaching math phobic 5th or 6th grade students how to do algebra that not one of them really understands. They simply rely on the "rules" that they learned to get by. I'm not saying this is the way it always works, but the sad truth is that it's the case in at least half student teacher situations. Just get into the field and ask the teachers!