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Paying more for a master's degree doesn't make sense
Teachers with master's degrees aren't better in the classroom, so why pay more for the credential?

Joanne Jacobs
3 days ago2 min read
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'Aha' moments don't add up to learning
Gamifying education might be fun for kids, but they're not likely to learn very much.

Joanne Jacobs
4 days ago2 min read
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You'll probably never use this, but learn it anyhow
Students learn lots of things they'll probably never use in later life, but being knowledgeable is very useful.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 12 min read
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Visioning synergies in the School of Human Narratives
Corporate blather won't restore faith in higher education, argues an English professor whose department may be merged into Human Narratives and Creative Expression.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 223 min read
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Idiocratic education
Relying on AI to do the math for you is "a recipe for idiocracy."

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 203 min read
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Structured math is the new old math: Teach the basics, test mastery, move on
Low math scores have pushed New Zealand and England to adopt explicit, structured teaching "mastering the basics before you move on."

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 182 min read
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Kindergarteners with Chromebooks
Students are using Chromebooks and iPads, starting in kindergarten. Most teachers say devices cause distractions.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 152 min read
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Teachers can't compete with TikTok and YouTube, and they shouldn't try
Instead of trying to be entertainers, teachers should teach students to listen, respond to classmates' ideas and pay attention.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 142 min read
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AI is learning how to teach: Will bots replace human teachers?
AI is transforming teaching and learning, but maybe not for the better.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 112 min read
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NEA trains teachers in activism, self-care and 'the future of trans'
The NEA's online courses favor progressive fads over teaching.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 301 min read
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Teach children that America is a good country, say teachers
Most teachers think it's "very" or "extremely important" to teach America's virtues and instill patriotism.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 292 min read
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A radical idea to improve schools: Do what works
Doing what works -- and avoiding fads and ideology -- would improve learning dramatically.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 282 min read
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'Patriotic' education isn't just flag-waving
We need rigorous history teaching -- not a switch from left-wing to right-wing takes on America.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 272 min read
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Kids don't know enough to 'do history' like historians
Students don't know enough history to "do history" like historians. They have to learn what happened before they analyze it.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 221 min read
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Best-selling bunk: We want to believe the easy answer
The idea of a student being "Nature Intelligent" is so much more palatable than "Unable to Do Trigonometry Intelligent."

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 222 min read
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20% of high school graduates are 'barely literate'
Twenty percent of high school graduates have trouble reading anything more complex than a restaurant menu.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 202 min read
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'Public schools don't belong to the teachers'
To restore trust in public education, teachers should be politically neutral in the classroom.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 161 min read
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'Meet students where they are' -- and then what?
Teachers and professors are told to "meet students where they are," but not how to get them where they need to be.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 152 min read
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Despite the Holocaust, 'competitive victimhood' is a loser for Jews
Anti-antisemitism rules for schools won't work, and more Holocaust education isn't the answer.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 143 min read
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Knowledge matters: 'You can't think critically about nothing in particular'
Schools want to teach "critical thinking" without teaching knowledge. It can't be done.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 92 min read
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