Private Tutor for Math & Science Success

Local leaders: More math, science education would aid kids, work force, science, math, high – Yuma Sun

BY SARAH REYNOLDS, SUN STAFF WRITER
April 28, 2007 – 10:25PM

Employers and educators say high school students, locally and nationally, will need to do more to prepare themselves with the math and science skills they’ll need to compete in the global economy.

“The general gist is the fact that America has been a superpower for a number of decades in terms of technology and innovation,” said Chris Camacho, president and chief executive officer of Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp. “And now China and India and the developing nations are becoming very strong competitors … These folks are producing many more scientists and the high-level technical folks than the U.S. is producing today.”

This national struggle is reflected locally in a need for more home-grown engineers, medical professionals and scientists. Training those professionals begins in local K-12 and college classes.

NSTA Commends Passage of Science and Math Education Bills

NSTA Commends Passage of Science and Math Education Bills

New Bills Focus on Maintaining and Improving U.S. Innovation in the 21st Century

ARLINGTON, Va., April 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching, today hailed the passage of the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act (S. 761) in the Senate and the “10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds” Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R. 362) in the House. These bipartisan bills are legislative responses to recommendations contained in the National Academies’ “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report and the Council on Competitiveness’ “Innovate America” report, both which seek to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. in the global economy by providing support and incentives for innovation in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Newswise | The New Math: LSU becomes National Leader in Math Education

The LSU Department of Mathematics has spent more than three years developing a new approach to teaching college algebra and has since become a national leader in the field of using technology to redesign the delivery of large-enrollment college mathematics courses. This new approach uses a combination of small classroom instruction and a learning lab environment.

LSU was accepted into the Roadmap to Redesign, or R2R, program in the summer of 2004. The program, developed by the National Center for Academic Transformation, or NCAT, fosters redesigning large enrollment courses through effective use of technology to reduce costs and increase student learning. LSU faculty members developed the delivery model they are now using with the help of NCAT redesign guidelines and after visiting other schools that were using these redesigned teaching methods.

In the spring 2005 semester, LSU ran a small pilot program of the new classroom and learning lab format for Math 1021, or college algebra. In fall 2005, LSU ran a larger pilot, but it was difficult to interpret the results of the program because of the effect Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on the entire LSU student population. In spring 2006, all college algebra students used this new model and the results were similar to results prior to the redesign.

Linking education to economic needs

Better science and math education is urgently needed to keep the United States competitive in the global economy — and states are critical to making that happen. That was the message the chair of the National Governors Association, Arizona Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, brought Wednesday to Minnesota to promote alongside the NGA vice chair, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

DDJ | DDJ’s Portal Blog

These academics. They just have to ruin everything. Even superheros aren’t safe from their wanting us to learn something.

Take University of Minnesota physics professor James Kakalios, for instance. He just can’t let us get by with a few hours of escapism and amusement. Nooo, he has to make it “educational” by providing technical explanations and pointing out scientific bloopers in superhero comic books.

The Argus Observer | Online – News

For many students, even the word “algebra” brings a negative connotation, but Vale High School’s Raeshelle Meyer is looking to change that sentiment.

“I feel one of my objectives is to show students that math affects them and they will use math outside of high school. It may not be solving quadratic equations, but it is every day math,” Meyer said Tuesday.

starbulletin.com | News | /2007/04/22/

By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com

Science teachers must get kids “more intellectually involved” as well as excited about science so they can become informed adults on scientific issues, says a national leader in science education.

“Originally, the challenge was to get teachers to do more hands-on work to keep kids interested and excited about science,” said Dr. Michael Padilla, University of Georgia science education professor.

Now the challenge is “focused on inquiry, getting them (students) to think like scientists,” he said.

“In science education, we look at both ends of the spectrum,” he said, from Ph.D. graduates and scientific leaders to citizens who understand science and can make decisions about issues such as global warming.

Sunday Times – Article
Dunce SA pulls out of global maths exam

22 April 2007
Prega Govender

‘We are far from where we want to be, there’s absolutely no doubt about that’

Education Department denies trying to avoid coming last again.

The Department of Education has backed out of an international maths and science exam in which South African pupils have twice come last.

The department claimed it did not want to subject pupils to too many tests.

1st things 1st should be math class formula | Chicago Tribune

1st things 1st should be math class formula
Teach how to, then explain why, or pupils will remain in the dark

By Frank M. Victoria
Published April 22, 2007

Consider this 7th grade math problem: A company makes both 3-wheel and 4-wheel scooters. If it has 50 scooter bodies and 160 wheels, calculate how many 3-wheel and 4-wheel scooters it can produce using all of its bodies and wheels.

The problem can be solved by trial and error. But unless you stumble onto the answer quickly, it is a long, frustrating process. The shorter, more precise way is to work it algebraically.

Opinion | New-age math doesn’t add up | Seattle Times Newspaper
New-age math doesn’t add up

It’s called reform math, discovery math, constructivist math, fuzzy math. I think of it as new-age math, and believe it is one reason why last year nearly half the 10th-graders in Washington public schools failed the mathematics portion of the high-school graduation test. It is also one reason American kids do so poorly when measured against kids from Europe and East Asia.