Bruce Schneier, America’s foremost expert on cryptography and security, is understandably concerned about the recent revelations concerning the NSA: By subverting the Internet at every level to make it a vast, multi-layered and robust surveillance platform, the NSA has undermined… Read More ›
Weston
Ask questions!
In most ways I have a great group of freshmen this year. I’m teaching two large sections of Honors Geometry — filled with bright, attentive, perfectly behaved freshmen who do their work and stay engaged in class! I suppose this… Read More ›
For life?
Overheard in the hallway: Two freshman girls are talking very seriously. “You know, freshman year is the most important,” says one. “If you mess it up, it will hurt you for the next three years.” “Yes,” says the other, “and… Read More ›
Real Talk for Real Teachers
The full title of Rafe Esquith’s latest inspiring book is Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: “No Retreat, No Surrender!” There’s rarely any need for a three-tiered title, but in this case I think it’s… Read More ›
Tricks? Not here!
My colleague Donna Gonzalez and I have discovered that we often have similar points of view. One pet peeve we have in common is that we sometimes hear students (or even teachers!) talk about “tricks” for solving math problems. Making… Read More ›
The real advantage of wealthier schools
This title is stolen directly from an excellent piece by John Spencer, whose blog is always worth reading. It’s clear from context that Spencer lives in a middle-class district and teaches in a low-income one. This combination is of course… Read More ›
Cryptography and the NSA
Everyone knows the big splash of news about the NSA revealed by Edward Snowden: “the NSA Is Breaking Most Encryption on the Internet,” in the words of foremost security/cryptography expert Bruce Schneier. This was a matter of great interest here… Read More ›
The four pillars of high-school mathematics
What do we teach in high-school math? If we look at the big picture —not at specific topics in specific courses — what do we teach? Numbers? Formulas? Algorithms? Taking standardized tests? All of the above? None of the above? There’s… Read More ›
The case against Algebra II?
The reason these kids are upset is that they are required to do something they can’t do. They are forced, repeatedly, to stare at hairy, square- rooted, polynomialed horseradish clumps of mute symbology that irritate them, that stop them in… Read More ›
How to pick a tutor…or not
Who needs a tutor? You do! Well, no…you probably don’t. Even if you’re faced with the challenge of Honors Geometry (a rude awakening to many students who are suddenly faced with the demands of their first high-school honors math course),… Read More ›
The soft bigotry of low expectations
I hate to use a phrase that was coined by a senior advisor to President George W. Bush. But use it I must…and even in a similar context. Michael Gerson described the all-too-common educational practice of expecting less from members… Read More ›
Learning goals and common assessments
Yesterday we had our final workshop of the summer, so we must be ready (hah!) to return to school on Tuesday. This workshop was titled “Learning Goals and Common Assessments.” You might be wondering what that means. I’ll tell you…. Read More ›
Using web-based technology in math courses
Yesterday we had a one-day workshop on using web-based technology in math courses. The premise was that the technology used in our math courses has been almost unchanged over the past ten years, despite the big improvements in web-based applications that… Read More ›
BYOT
Just finished participating in a two-day workshop on BYOT, a.k.a. BYOD. If you’re not up on current educational jargon, you might not realize that the T stands for “technology,” the D for “device.” In either case, the idea is that… Read More ›
How many levels should there be?
“I don’t want to stay in Honors Geometry. It’s too difficult!” “I’m bored in regular Geometry. It’s too easy!” We hear remarks like these from a sprinkling of students — sometimes both of them from the same student — usually… Read More ›
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concert
Yesterday afternoon, Barbara and I attended a beautiful concert given by the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at Symphony Hall. Picture yourself there. Close your eyes and just listen. You forget that this was a youth orchestra; you think that the… Read More ›
As you know, college admissions have become more competitive.
Does it matter that the most competitive colleges are harder to get into than they used to be? It certainly matters at Weston, and I’m sure at other top-ranked high schools as well. The question is whether the net effects… Read More ›
AIME revised
Contrary to my post of February 22, it turns out that Weston actually has nine students, not eight, who qualified for the AIME. Pravina Samaratunga (junior) took the qualifying test at a different location and therefore wasn’t included in my original list…. Read More ›
AIME
Congratulations to the eight Weston High School students who have been invited to take the prestigious American Invitational Math Exam: seniors Ian Delaney, James Goulart, and Akshay Saini juniors William Kretschmer and Daniel Rigobon sophomore Kyle Chow freshmen Akiva Gordon and… Read More ›
Professional development
Yesterday, while our students were enjoying their last day of a four-day weekend, it was a regular workday for teachers. Well, actually, “regular” isn’t quite the right word. We did have a full day of work, but of course there… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 