This is not the first Editorial from the New York Times on education. But it is the first that I have seen where The Editorial Board seems to be realizing that too many universities don’t see the “new college campus” as a place for education. I have posted here about most of the previous editorials. (I will […]
New York Times Editorial Board: “…the new college campus…does not seem geared to fulfill…the major mission of universities: educating students.”
February 17, 2014 by
Andrew Simmons in The Atlantic on “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids That College Is the Key to Social Mobility”
January 20, 2014 by
Here is the link: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/01/the-danger-of-telling-poor-kids-that-college-is-the-key-to-social-mobility/283120/ This is my comment, which explains my view on the essay. (For some reason The Atlantic rejected this comment for a couple of days, before posting it.) I think the article itself is good and worth reading. “The thought behind this essay is so well-meaning that I am loathe to […]
New York Times Editorial Series on Education – They Don’t See the Elephant in the Classroom
December 15, 2013 by
(Go here to see the newest piece, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/opinion/sunday/in-math-and-science-the-best-fend-for-themselves.html?hp&rref=opinion ) I am concerned that even the Times doesn’t see the problem. Maybe they just have trouble believing how bad the integrity problem is. Anyway, I commented on their recommendations, and I made a general comment. Here they are. On the Times recommendation for more government support As a […]
On “The Berkeley Model” by Joe Nocera at the New York Times
December 10, 2013 by
Mr. Nocera writes that Fred Wiseman’s documentary is a “big wet kiss” to Berkely. He expresses concern about the cost of education (which he should) and writes that “The real issue is: how do you make college more affordable today.” I am worried that many people like Joe Nocera and Jon Meacham (See Why Do […]
Not Being Good at Math – Should That Be a Bar to Getting a PhD in Math?
December 3, 2013 by
American 15-Year-Olds Fall Further Back in Math
December 3, 2013 by
The New York Tims and the Wall Street Journal both reported the results of the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/education/american-15-year-olds-lag-mainly-in-math-on-international-standardized-tests.html?ref=us&_r=0 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304579404579234511824563116) I commented on wsj.com and I wll follow up with a post that contains another personal story. Here is my comment. “I am a former math professor who taught at an […]
More on The Atlantic’s Article on Teaching Math
November 13, 2013 by
(The article is here http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/the-stereotypes-about-math-that-hold-americans-back/281303/#disqus_thread ) There were some interesting replies to my comment on the article. I am posting my response to this one because it might be informative for some readers of this blog. It states my view, and probably the view of many others, of two of the problems facing professors now. The […]
Excellent Explanation of How to Teach Math in The Atlantic – But…
November 13, 2013 by
…as I commented on the site, where do we get the teachers? (The article, which I recommend is at http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/the-stereotypes-about-math-that-hold-americans-back/281303/#disqus_thread) “I am a former math professor. I totally agree with the author about how math can best be learned. There is a gigantic hurdle: where do we get the people (teachers) who themselves were taught […]
More on Columbia University’s Report on Educational Quality
My view of Columbia’s teacher college went down even further as I read their report on teachinng quality and course rigor. I added this comment to the Chronicle of Higher Education. It points out some serious flaws – so serious that I’m a little shocked. “I want to add two more observations to what has […]