Jun

14

Great Interactive Websites for math and science

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I’d like to thank Karen Brooks for creating this Slideshare with all these wonderful resources. I know that I will be using some of them come next September with my grade nine class and I’ll be sharing this treasure with my colleagues.

Jun

12

Blogging can be a pretty selfish and alienating activity

Filed Under Blogging in and out of the Classroom, Uncategorized | 5 Comments 

I’ve suddenly had the thought that blogging can be a pretty selfish and alienating activity. It has a dark side that I hadn’t notice before because I was blinded by the light.

I’ve been blogging for almost two years now (August 2006) and podcasting for over a year (March 2007) and am one of blogging’s biggest boosters. In fact, I’ve become a blogging evangelist trying to bring the word about the joys of blogging to anyone who will listen. I’ve persuaded some colleagues at work to start a blog and helped them through the first confusing steps.

I totally identify with Mathew when he says “I’ve built some blogging friendships that have both contributed to my teaching practice and been personally rewarding.” I’ve met some wonderful people on line that I count among my friends even though we’ve never sat face to face.

I was thinking about Mathew’s comment and sort of feeling that glow I get when I’m thinking about writing a blog, reading other people’s blogs or leaving a comment about what I’ve read. This of course takes lots of time and that’s what made me realize that blogging can be a petty selfish and alienating activity. All that time I’m spending researching for my blog, writing my blog, reading other people’s blogs, talking about blogging and learning about the more technical aspects of blogging takes lots and lots of time, lots of time away from other things like family and friends.

I’m thinking now as I write this that maybe it’s been too much time away from family and friends. I’ve been saying things to my friends like “Gee, we should get together more. I haven’t seen you in ages. I’ve been so busy.” What I don’t tell them is that I’ve been so busy amusing myself in the blogosphere. Almost everyday, I’ve been telling my husband, Kurt, that I”ll just go upstairs to the office for a minute to check my email and then before I know it, hours have passed and Kurt is sitting downstairs by himself. When I mention ever so casually that I might like to start to video blog, despite the fact that Kurt’s one of my biggest supporters, he suggests rather strongly that I don’t take on too much. What he’s not saying is that he thinks it’s already too much.

I’m spending too much time in the blogosphere and that is selfish and alienating, and that’s not what I want to be or to do. So, I’m going to spend less time in the blogosphere and more time with family and friends. :) And, that’s a good thing.

Jun

8

Math education in America is failing to prepare students for the 21st century

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Math education in America is failing to prepare students for the 21st century. That’s the message that comes across loud and clear in the video The State of Education- A look at the state of education in America. Although I’m Canadian and teach in a Canadian secondary school, I believe the points the video makes applies to both Canadian and American education systems.

Bob Compton executive producer of the video 2 000 000 minutes and Molly Brand President of the American Counsel of Education offer some explanations. Bob Compton, notes that in China and India students focus on academics and set very high goals and then strive to achieve these goals while in America students divide their focus on sports, academics, extra curricular activity and jobs. In America, the goal for students is to be well rounded. In China and India high academic achievement is valued and rewarded- different cultures, different values, different outcomes.

Students in China and India take four years of chemistry, four years of physics, four years of biology and four years of math while in American students take one year of chemistry, one year of physics, and one year of biology. Almost all Chinese students take calculus yet only 13% of American students take it. Clearly, American students aren’t well prepared for the high wage , high technology, high growth industries for the 21st century.

Molly Brand argues that the education system in particular is failing kids when it comes to math education. Forty percent of high school seniors can’t understand grade 8 math. Brand says that if she could change one thing it would be for teachers at the middle school level to be qualified, certified math teachers to give students a better grounding in math. Not having a good grounding in math has huge repercussions

Students know that they need to be able to do algebra in order to graduate. Since many students can’t do algebra, they drop out in grade 10. Surprisingly, at least to me, students who graduate from high school earn the same money as kids who drop out in grade 10. It takes post secondary education to earn big money. Yet, half of highschool students don’t graduate.

Brand ends on an optimistic note by saying that American graduates are more competitive, more creative and more entrepreneurial than their counterparts in Indian and China. That’s the advantage American’s have over Indian and Chinese graduates, and that ’s what American schools need to nurture because that is their strength.

Now, I have a couple of questions? First, if it is the case that we can only compete in the more creative and entrepreneurial areas , what are school doing to nurture students’ right brains. Schools seem to value the creative arts less and less. Programs in the arts are getting cut all the time in favour of “the basics”.The art program at our school will take a hit nextyear and classes were canceled. Second, why do we have to specialize in either left brain activities or right brain activities. Why can’t we be excellent at both?

 
icon for podpress  Math education in America is failing to prepare students for the 21st century [3:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (204)

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