Calculating Dragons
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USAToday Feb 2020: "The latest results of an international exam given to teenagers ranked the USA ninth in reading and 31st in math literacy out of 79 countries and economies. America has a smaller-than-average share of top-performing math students, and scores have essentially been flat for two decades.
"One likely reason: U.S. high schools teach math differently than other countries.
"Classes here often focus on formulas and procedures rather than teaching students to think creatively about solving complex problems involving all sorts of mathematics, experts said. That makes it harder for students to compete globally, be it on an international exam or in colleges and careers that value sophisticated thinking and data science.
"Other countries teach three straight years of integrated math – I, II and III — in which concepts of algebra, geometry, probability, statistics and data science are taught together, allowing students to take deep dives into complex problems.
"Most American classes focus on teaching rote procedures, she said."
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On the one hand we've got people complaining about a lack of performance in mathematics. On the other we've got lots of people saying that teaching calculus to all is a waste of time, and kids should be taught more life skills. Funnily enough, I kind of agree with both groups.
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From EPI.org: "The proportion of low-income students in U.S. schools has increased rapidly, as has the share of minority students in the student population. The chances of ending up in a high-poverty or high-minority school are highly determined by a student’s race/ethnicity and social class. For example, black and Hispanic students—even if they are not poor—are much more likely than white or Asian students to be in high-poverty schools.
"These disparities represent a stubborn educational failure story. Attending a high-poverty school lowers math and reading achievement for students in all racial/ethnic groups and this negative effect has not diminished over time."
And now for the usual raft of bullshit -- the recommendations. "Sustaining our democratic values and improving our education system call for a host of more coordinated and widespread education, economic, and housing policies—including policies to raise curricular standards, tackle insufficient funding for schools with a large share of low-income students, promote access to education resources -- "
Agh, I can't read anymore. It's amazing, how these tired old chestnuts perpetuate year after year after decade. The rest is here, if you want to read more:
https://www.epi.org/publication/five-key-trends-in-u-s-student-performance-progress-by-blacks-and-hispanics-the-takeoff-of-asians-the-stall-of-non-english-speakers-the-persistence-of-socioeconomic-gaps-and-the-damaging-effect/My opinion: Get the feds out of education and two, get parents to get the lead out and become more hands-on. In the end, it's the parents who must take responsibility for improving the quality of American education. The feds have proved beyond a sliver of doubt that they can't do it. Who else is there?
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I'm sure there are no shortage of Chinese children who are both illiterate and innumerate, as well as unreported.
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Also, suggesting even for a moment that there is more ideological indoctrination in American schools than in China is pretty funny.
I'm no expert, but...
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@doctor-phibes said in Calculating Dragons:
Also, suggesting even for a moment that there is more ideological indoctrination in American schools than in China is pretty funny.
It just depends on the ideas.
Smart people know that humans as a species are an especially blank slate. Our programmability is a feature and not a bug. We know how important the program is.
Education is extremely important.
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Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka
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@catseye3 said in Calculating Dragons:
@horace said in Calculating Dragons:
Smart people know that humans as a species are an especially blank slate.
Compared to what?
Non human species. The period for which they are helpless is informative.
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It's not rocket surgery
- Tell the feds to fuck off and take their money and their rules with them. I think districts will do fine.
- Sorry, but you don't pay the person teaching calculus the same as the person teaching history. You pay according to talent and try to retain your best.
- Do get the state university systems involved in the public schools. I want the best starting college as juniors, debt free.
- Everybody ain't gonna be an engineer or pharmacist, etc. You need older tradesman teaching ag and shop classes. They'll come for less money, if you throw them a retirement bone.
