On Friday, Steinn was playing dictator of the universe, and presented a modest proposal to reform US public education. It’s a mix of pretty good idea and cosmetic changes to make things more like Europe, and I agree with a good deal of it. I do want to highlight one thing, though: Teachers could probably… Continue reading Teacher Compensation
Category: Education
Scientists and Indie Rockers
Chris Mooney posted a couple of things last week– one article at ScienceProgress and one blog post— talking about the supposed shortage of scientists in the “pipeline.” Following an Urban Insitute study, he says that there’s really no shortage of scientists being trained, but rather a shortage of jobs for those scientists. Coming as he… Continue reading Scientists and Indie Rockers
Problems with Middle School Math
EurekAlert had a press release yesterday regarding a new study on the training of middle-school math teachers. It’s not pretty: Middle school math teachers in the United States are not as well prepared to teach this subject compared to teachers in five other countries, something that could negatively affect the U.S. as it continues to… Continue reading Problems with Middle School Math
Is Our Schools Failing?
Kevin Drum looks at the latest story about American students lagging the world in science test scores, and notes that this has been going on at least since he was in school. This leads him to wonder whether it’s really as bad as all that: I still wonder about this. If American kids are getting… Continue reading Is Our Schools Failing?
Scientist as Detective
On a happier science-related note, the AIP’s Physics News Update highlights a very nice article in The American Journal of Physics about the wide-ranging scientific investigations of Luis Alvarez: Scientist as detective: Luis Alvarez and the pyramid burial chambers, the JFK assassination, and the end of the dinosaurs Luis Alvarez (1911-1988) was one of the… Continue reading Scientist as Detective
Physics for Everyone (for Some Value of “Everyone”)
In today’s New York Times Natalie Angier has a nice story about increased interest in physics: Many people wring their hands over the state of science education and point to the appalling performance of America’s students in international science and math competitions. Yet some of the direst noises about our nation’s scientific prospects may be… Continue reading Physics for Everyone (for Some Value of “Everyone”)
Physics of Engine Repair
Via Physics Buzz, a Mechanical Aptitude Test for diesel technicians. It’s fifty basic physics questions, covering a wide range of material from introductory physics: basic concepts of force and torque, a little bit of electrical circuits, and even some thermodynamics. I got 45/50, which is a passing score. I suspect that I bombed the handful… Continue reading Physics of Engine Repair
“Gifted” is not a “Special Need”
Mark Kleiman has rediscovered a semi-clever approach to the problems of smart kids: So here’s the puzzle: is there any justification for not treating high-IQ kids as having “special needs” and therefore entitled to individualized instruction? Yes, yes, I know that in the South “gifted” programs have been used as a technique of within-school resegregation.… Continue reading “Gifted” is not a “Special Need”
N Skills Every Scientist Should Have
A little while back, Popular Mechanics published a list of 25 Skills Every Man Should Know. Seven of the 25 are car-related, another four have to do with construction, and an additional six are outdoorsy things. Of course, they also threw in “extend your wireless network,” for the nerds out there, but it does tend… Continue reading N Skills Every Scientist Should Have
DonorsChoose Payoff: Homework vs. Google
An anonymous donor cashes in a $30 donation to ask: Homework solutions from intro physics through grad school physics are available online, and while working through Jackson and Goldstein problems can be miserable without some guidance, the temptation is there to plagiarize. When you teach, do you use book-problems or write your own? Do you… Continue reading DonorsChoose Payoff: Homework vs. Google