Archives for January 2016

What a Million Syllabuses Can Teach Us – The New York Times (And What Experience Cautions Us)

January 25, 2016 by

New insights about teaching, publishing and intellectual history. Source: What a Million Syllabuses Can Teach Us – The New York Times This Times Op-Ed contains a link to a website with informative data on syllabuses.  The piece explains the data.  I will just add that I believe that you can use the website to make […]

Filed Under: Times Editorials and Op/Eds Tagged With:

Tenured Professor Confused By Negative Cube Roots?

January 21, 2016 by

I received this comment on a previous post.  I thought it important enough to make it a post. “I routinely deal with college-level mathematics faculty that often have serious trouble with simple high-school mathematics. For example. I once had to explain that the domain of a cube root function is all reals and the faculty […]

Filed Under: University Education Dumbs Down High School

Learning About Universities Emotional Grip By Using Frank Bruni As an Example

January 20, 2016 by

A new report suggests that we’re on the cusp of important, necessary changes in the way colleges evaluate applicants. Source: Rethinking College Admissions – The New York Times I promised I would have another comment. Here it is. As a former professor (who is frightened out of my wits by what I know and the […]

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Frank Bruni of The New York Times Was Getting It But Now He May Be Slipping

January 20, 2016 by

A new report suggests that we’re on the cusp of important, necessary changes in the way colleges evaluate applicants. Source: Rethinking College Admissions – The New York Times Above it the link to his recent column.  Here is what I wrote. (I will add another comment soon.) I’m a former math professor who has seen […]

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Teach Your Teachers Well – The New York Times Great Idea, But is it Just Talk?

January 13, 2016 by

How­ adults learn defines how children learn. Source: Teach Your Teachers Well – The New York Times I’m a former math professor. From all that I’ve seen, few colleges are even trying to teach teachers “well”. Let me explain what really happens. STEP ONE Major “elite” universities get large “national need” grants to produce American […]

Filed Under: Times Editorials and Op/Eds Tagged With: