Fri, 07 Jan 2005 14:04:38 GMT

Webcast of Unveiling of National Ed. Techology Plan on January 7. Watch the webcast of the unveiling of the 2004 National Education Techology Plan on January 7 at 3:00 pm Eastern time. Secretary Paige and other officials will present the plan, "Toward a New Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law, and Today’s Students Are Revolutionizing Expectations." [U.S. Department of Education]

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Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:10:02 GMT

A Fordham Foundation study, noted in a Seattle PI article, says most states flunk when their math standards are graded. Georgia received a "B" -- same score since 1998.

Georgia receives criticism over its allowance of calculators in K-8. In particular, the report (pdf) notes:

Calculators are explicitly introduced in first grade with a boilerplate standard subsequently repeated for all grades 2-8:

Determine the most efficient way to solve a problem (mentally, or with paper/pencil, or calculator).

If elementary school students are allowed to decide the most efficient way to solve problems, what prevents them from choosing a calculator every time? One vague fourth grade standard does ask for some computational ability without calculator assistance:

Students will further develop their understanding of division of whole numbers and divide in problemsolving situations without calculators.

However, aside from ambiguously worded requirements to memorize the basic number facts, no other standard for grades K-8 specifies what students should be able to do without calculator assistance. This leaves open the possibility that all else can be done with calculators. Further, no mention is made of the important standard algorithms of arithmetic at any grade level.

In my book, calculators have no place in elementary education.

Jim Flowers: Education Policy

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