First Blog

Premise: The US performs poorly international math tests, TIMSS and PISA The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. TIMSS is used to compare over time the mathematics and science knowledge and skills of fourth- and eighth-graders. TIMSS is designed to align broadly with mathematics and science curricula in the participating countries. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009001 Overall, the US came in tenth among four graders and ninth among eight graders. On the PISA test, the United States came in 25 out of 35.   China , which did best on the test, cited “ China also raised teacher pay and standards and reduced rote learning, while giving students and local authorities more choice in curriculum.” Comments from the big shots. Education Secretary Arne Duncan , “The results show that U.S. students must improve to compete in a global economy. … This should be a massive wake-up call to the entire country.” Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill

In this note we are most interested in a singularly important aspect of American education, that of our corps of mathematics teachers.    We look at numbers.   Included in this report are the numbers of new teachers and the all important retention/attrition rates.    Teacher Certification – New Teachers As reported by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, we consider numbers of candidates who received initial Mathematics and Science certifications over the ten fiscal years, 2000-2009.   Important conclusions are Mathematics teachers remained predominantly female and white in all the years under consideration, despite substantial year-by-year changes. About 70% of all newly certified math teachers are female correspondingly 30% are male. By ethnicity, the data reports that 8.76% are African American, 68.33% are white, 16.48% are Hispanic,    5.10% are Asian, 1.05% are Native American, and 2.12% are Other.   The percentage of white Mathematics teachers declined pr

Our purpose is to develop and analyze a model for the dynamics of political power and control in a social system. The significant feature of social systems is that they are neither purely competitive nor cooperative but some of each. Therefore this model must exhibit both qualities and balance them. It must also permit socio-political phenomena such as coalitions, alliances, anarchy, and revolutions and apply rather generally to various types of political systems. Using generalized logistical models we are able to encompass all these requirements for the case when the system is closed; that is, when all forces are internal to the system. The models developed also apply to shared market economies. Motivation for the model. One of the major historical difficulties in describing the notions of power and control is the inherent difficulty in describing the nature of the human being from this perspective. Interpersonal relations are impossibly complex. There are few if any general rules

Using Analogies We all use analogies to explain the concepts we want to impart, to convince, to help understand, and to reduce to a simpler more physical and familiar level of understanding.   Analogies have been used over the great span of time, even in Plato’s Phaedo , where the philosopher’s soul of reason should not do and redo arguments as with Penelope’s rug 2 . (Plato, Phaedo ) Research says indicates that using analogies assists in concept development. This is something we’ve all suspected. It is interesting to note that it is somewhat established in the literature 1 .     To be effective, analogies must be familiar, and their features must be synchronous with those of the target. Reasoning by analogy indicates the target concept is like something else.   You can argue it, but it is still only an analogy and may prove nothing at all.   The real problem is that the analogy may be false, and worse still is that your audience may interpret your intended concept throu