I've heard references to "the new math" from time to time and from what I can gather it was a change in the teaching of mathematics that happened as a reaction to the launch of Sputnik. Since Sputnik I was launched in 1957 and I was born rather later, I never encountered whatever the "old math" was. It seemed strange that were "old" and "new" ( Read more... )

As a kid, I once started to look at a book on how to draw things. It was probably filled with reasonably good advice, but I didn't keep looking at it for very long. Maybe I looked at it as a possible purchase (or to ask for...) but the information didn't make sense to me. What it did was start off with drawing lines and circles and ovals to rough ( Read more... )

A few new folks have shown up on IRC recently. It's been interesting, if disheartening, to find that some things seem not to change.

I'll quote one person, "I joined the #warnercafe on mirc and was at least welcomed with a "hello" right away. That's pretty rare from the few rooms that I've been to." Shouldn't being welcomed or at least ( Read more... )

When I was attending a technical school I wound up making a bit of money, or perhaps I should say offsetting some of the expense, by tutoring. Most was within the settings of the tech school itself, as part of its own program. There was one instance where it was outside the tech school and was for a kid in (junior) high school, who needed help ( Read more... )

Fair warning about the links below: Some folks might find some of the language used in the postings linked below to be offensive. And I might use some forceful language myself.

There was a post by 2_gryphon. And xydexx has what seems an interesting reaction to it. Another, dour, pointed out that identifying symptoms is not in itself treatment. Someone else, I ( Read more... )

In the 1980s, as I recall, there was a report on the state of education in the USA which commented or lead to the comment that had such a dismal situation been foisted on us by another country, we would consider it an act of war.

Foreign powers and shady underground groups need not waste their time attacking the US. Why should they, when the US ( Read more... )

There have been at least three people in my (extended) family involved in formal schooling in positions other than as students.

( Three people, schools, and actual education too. )

A few things happened in the last several days that all seem to be related by way of dealing with learning or lack of learning.

( I have never let schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain )

This morning I saw an article about toys, specifically toys for the "proto-geek" and started thinking of some of the toys that I and my sister had. This list is by no means complete and is somewhat biased to what I had, but there is a common theme. These are items that require effort on the user's part to create, or at least assemble. Sure, you ( Read more... )