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Deep, rich math: Is it chocolate cake every day?
Students should learn "foundational concepts" in math "deeply and conceptually" through engaging, "rich" tasks, write Jo Boaer and Cole...

Joanne Jacobs
May 23, 20242 min read


'Balderdash'
Brian Conrad, a math professor and director of undergraduate math education at Stanford, is guilty of "academic and professional...

Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20242 min read


It's 'MATH-ish' -- but is it math?
Stanford will not investigate a complaint accusing Education Professor Jo Boaler of “reckless disregard for accuracy” by misrepresenting...

Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20243 min read


Kids can learn a lot more math -- and have fun -- in kindergarten
Kindergarten math may be too easy, writes Holley Korbey for the Hechinger Report. The focus is on reading. Math expectations are low. In...

Joanne Jacobs
May 6, 20241 min read


DIY math: Many high school teachers rewrite the curriculum
Many teachers are creating -- or downloading -- their own math materials, according to a recent survey, writes Hechinger's Jill Barshay....

Joanne Jacobs
May 6, 20241 min read


Mathalicious: 'Out with negative numbers, in with positive feelings'
Numbers, multiplication and "right" answers are obsolete, 22nd-century-skills guru Paul Banksley tells Rick Hess. They're "not...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 12, 20242 min read


Practice works for football -- and math
How do you get to Carnegie Hall -- or a football championship? Practice, right? The same applies to learning math, writes Holly Korbey on...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20241 min read


Maybe the cure to math anxiety is to teach kids math
Timed tests cause math anxiety, according to Jo Boaler, a Stanford math education professor who's been charged with "reckless disregard...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20242 min read


Teachers aren't unhappy or underpaid
Most teachers like teaching, enjoy the flexible work schedule, live comfortably and are no more likely to quit their profession than...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 26, 20241 min read


'Data science' isn't college-prep math (or science), say university profs
"Data science" is a popular choice for students who struggled in traditional math classes, reports Javeria Salman on the Hechinger...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 7, 20242 min read


Algebra wins big in San Francisco -- but will kids learn times tables?
San Francisco schools should offer algebra in eighth grade, said 84 percent of voters in Tuesday's election. It was a stunning rejection...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 7, 20242 min read


How to teach math well: There are wrong answers
Engineering, computer science, accounting, finance and medicine will not be options for people who couldn't find the lowest common...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 4, 20242 min read


Lots of kids left behind: Why achievement gaps grew
Achievement gaps are large and growing across the country, writes Chad Aldeman on The 74. It's not the pandemic: Scores have been falling...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20242 min read


What about math? Schools focus on reading, not so much on math
Many schools are training teachers, hiring tutors and changing curricula to improve reading instruction, writes Holly Korey on The 74....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 22, 20242 min read


SF brings back 8th-grade algebra, admits 'equity math' failed
Algebra will return to San Francisco middle schools, reports Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle. The school board's vote Tuesday...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 15, 20242 min read


In defense of remedial math classes
Students who are almost ready for college math do best by taking college-level classes with support in basic skills, researchers agree....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 9, 20242 min read


8th-grade algebra for some
Most middle schools offer eighth-grade algebra to high achievers, according to a new RAND survey, reports Kalyn Belsha on Chalkbeat. Only...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 8, 20241 min read


Leveling up: How to get 'diverse' kids to advanced math
"Equity" doesn't mean lowering standards in Union district near Tulsa, reports Hechinger's Neal Morton. Most students in accelerated math...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 8, 20242 min read


$250K for 'woke' training: Reading, math scores fall even lower
Training teachers to "disrupt whiteness" isn't helping children learn at a Bay Area school, reports Jill Tucker in the San Francisco...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 5, 20242 min read


Young students are better in phonics, worse in math
"Covid toddlers" -- kids who were two years old in March 2020 -- were more likely to be unprepared for kindergarten in fall 2023 reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20241 min read
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