Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Beyond the Headlines: THE N.Y. TIMES TAKES A DEEPER LOOK AT MATH & SCIENCE

Posted on September 3, 2013 by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/UXHVhZ

New York Times NYT logoIf you’re not an online subscriber to the New York Times, you might want to max-out your free monthly quota (of ten stories) today. [ smf: I just ordered the entire issue on my Kindle: 99¢ ] The Science Times section, entitled “Learning What Works,” focuses exclusively on education with a look “beyond the alarming headlines about science and math achievement.”  One article, “Fewer Topics, Covered More Rigorously” reports on the Common Core implementation in New York; another, “Field-Testing the Math App,” looks at preschool apps developed with Boston Public Radio, WGBH.

A  full list of stories follows 

from the  New York Times | http://nyti.ms/17LdLsh

Science Times Special Section: Learning What Works | Sept 3 2013

Expecting the Best Yields Results in Massachusetts

By KENNETH CHANG

Jeffrey Fisher

Adopting rigorous standards, and sticking with them while giving teachers some breathing room, has helped Massachusetts’ students rise to No. 1 in the nation on science and math achievement.


An eduction summit in Florida last week to discuss the new Common Core standards and other issues listed current strengths of the state’s K-12 system.

With Common Core, Fewer Topics but Covered More Rigorously
By KENNETH CHANG 4:32 PM ET

As states adopt the new Common Core standards for math education, teachers prepare for a shift from breadth to depth, particularly in the earlier grades.


Guesses and Hype Give Way to Data in Study of Education
By GINA KOLATA 2:41 PM ET

Amid a sore lack of data, one federal office is conducting randomized trials of various educational programs to determine which live up to their claims.


‘Sesame Street’ Widens Its Focus
By ELIZABETH JENSEN

With its usual silliness, “Sesame Street” is introducing serious concepts about nature, science, math and engineering to its target audience of children too young to read.


Zhang Ruifan’s parents, afraid he’d become a “book-cramming robot” in Beijing, sent him to the United States for high school.

Chinese Educators Look to American Classrooms
By DAN LEVIN

While the world may be dazzled by Chinese students’ test scores, educators in China worry that the lack of hands-on science learning is stifling innovation and critical thinking.


Standard-Bearer in Evolution Fight
By CORNELIA DEAN

Eugenie C. Scott, longtime director of the National Center for Science Education, has spent a career beating back efforts to teach creationism in schools across America.


Zack Kopplin is trying to overturn a law that allows creationism to be taught in Louisiana schools.

Young Students Against Bad Science
By DOUGLAS QUENQUA

Meet some high school and college students who have taken stands on issues connected to science education.


Cognitive Science Meets Pre-Algebra
By BENEDICT CAREY

Mixing related but distinct concepts in lessons has proved more effective than focusing on one subject at a time, though it feels harder.


Field-Testing the Math Apps
By LISA GUERNSEY

With the advent of interactive touch screens, educational apps have taken off. Until recently, there has been little research into their effectiveness, but that is starting to change.

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