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Joanne Jacobs
5 days ago2 min read
Paying for failure: If at first you don't succeed, you get a try-again bonus
Failure algebra in Philadelphia, go to tutoring, retake the test and get a cash reward -- even if you fail again.
3 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Feb 283 min read
Teachers: Overparented students are less independent
Students are less independent, more likely to ask their parents to protect them from any effort.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 131 min read
Achievement creates motivation
Achievement predicts motivation, but motivation doesn't predict achievement.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 101 min read
Misbehavior is worse, say educators
Student misbehavior is up and motivation is down: 2024 is worse than 2023.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 31 min read
California tells schools: Go easy on homework
A new California law urges school to set homework policies that ease stress and promote "equity."
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Joanne Jacobs
Dec 18, 20242 min read
Teens are doing less homework, earning higher grades
Teenagers are working less and earning higher grades. Everybody's "phoning it in."
5 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Dec 1, 20243 min read
AI tutoring: The smart get smarter
AI tutoring can help motivated, capable students learn faster, but is worse than a human tutor for most students.
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Joanne Jacobs
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Well-behaved, motivated newcomers may raise classmates' achievement
U.S.-born students learn more when their classmates are immigrants, says a new study.
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Joanne Jacobs
May 23, 20242 min read
Ethnomath: Will kids learn more math if it's culturally relevant?
In an attempt to make math "more engaging and inclusive," some teachers are teaching what's called ethnomathematics, writes Hechinger's...
6 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 20, 20242 min read
College students can't -- or won't -- read, say profs
Many college students don't do the work -- perhaps because they have trouble reading and understanding college-level texts.
5 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20243 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...
6 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20241 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...
7 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 20, 20242 min read
Lowering expectations doesn't lead to 'equity'
It's easier to get A's and harder to get an education, writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli. Expectations started falling and grades...
15 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 24, 20232 min read
AI tutors will help motivated students, but . . .
"Motivated learners" will be able to "substitute AI for human tutors and teachers," predict Sean Geraghty and Mike Goldstein, co-leaders...
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Nov 9, 20231 min read
'B' is for below grade level (and chronically absent)
"Rosie" averaged an 83 in core classes and tested more than two months above grade level in fifth grade in 2019. She was absent three...
12 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 21, 20232 min read
Roblox goes to school: Plan a Mars mission or join the Pathogen Patrol
Roblox is going to school, reports Benjamin Herold in Education Week. The popular gaming platform is adding immersive online “learning...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 18, 20232 min read
My students are 'broken kids I cannot fix'
Teachers on Reddit are sharing horror stories of their students' emotional, social and academic melt downs, screen addictions and apathy....
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20233 min read
Set up to fail: In real life, you've got to show up and do the work
"Equitable grading" is supposed to be fairer to students who have trouble completing homework, getting to school on time and studying for...
7 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 19, 20232 min read
Learning is hard
Learning is hard, Dan Willingham tells Laura McKenna. It takes effort. But motivated students can learn effective learning and study...
11 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Jan 4, 20232 min read
College is 'worth it' for those who want to learn -- which isn't everyone
Students' desire to learn is the key to college success, writes Jonathan Malesic, who teaches writing at the University of Texas at...
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