Dozens of states, hundreds of Electoral College votes, thousands of primary delegates and millions of voters: the American presidential election is unquestionably a numbers game. But in 2016, the two major presidential campaigns have taken very different stances on the political power of mathematics – and it might mean the difference between Clinton and Trump […]
School is a strange, contradictory place. To prepare students for the world, we separate them from it. We demand broad and simultaneous mastery of language, math, science, history and art from children who will most likely, as adults, make a living from a narrow subset of skills. And where real life offers chances for practice […]
The new school year has arrived. For some, that means a return to familiar faces, routines and resources, for new teachers it can be a nerve-wracking plunge into unknown territory. Find your footing as a budding educator with a few simple guidelines. Establish Clear Rules Set yourself some homework. Put together a clear, comprehensive list […]
The mobile gaming phenomenon that is Pokemon Go seems like it was intentionally designed to aggravate teachers. Ever struggled to get a student off his phone? Try it when there’s a wild Pikachu roaming the playground. It’s a fad that won’t fade, at least anytime soon. So maybe it’s time to stop fighting the inevitable […]
Every parent will remember the feeling of their child’s first day of school: a muddle of emotions and uncertainties, of pride, anxiety, reflections on the swift passage of time and relentless, circling doubts. Are they really old enough? Are they ready? These questions underpin an ongoing debate about the best age for children to start […]
It’s no secret that algebra is the bane of many students’ lives. Failure rates for high schoolers across US states reach as high as 82%, and even among students who elect to take the subject, failure rates of 50% are common. Algebra – along with other advanced math subjects – is frequently listed as one of […]
For as long as the STEM fields have existed, an ugly stereotype has festered: that math, science and associated subjects are the domains of men. It is traditionally accepted that boys naturally outperform girls in these subjects as if the male gender possesses some ingrained biological affinity for these disciplines that the female lacks. The […]
On 24th November 2015, President Barack Obama presented Katherine Johnson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Unlike other recipients of the award that year – including Steven Spielberg, James Taylor and Willie Mays – Katherine Johnson was not a household name in America. She was not a movie […]
Throughout history the study and discussion of math has often been barred to female scholars. German mathematician Emmy Noether, for example – sometimes described as the “most important woman in the history of mathematics” – worked at the Mathematical Institute of Erlangen without pay for seven years, as women were not allowed to hold […]
Much has been made in recent years of the integration of technology into classrooms. Portable devices, educational apps, interactive whiteboards and even augmented reality are all becoming common – if not essential – tools for students of all ages. Accessible technology opens up avenues for teaching and learning that are only just now being explored. […]