http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-646667.mp3
Albany, NY – THE MATHEMATICS SURVIVAL KIT ,
Pt. 1 of 2 -
If you listen to public radio on the weekends, you have likely heard a
university math professor who is also the Math Guy. But if your tastes
run more to television, you may have also seen the Friday night CBS
show, Numbers, in which a curious young math wiz named Charlie,
solves crimes using mathematics. Regardless of your viewing or
listening habits, it's apparent more emphasis is being placed on math.
Now, comes The Mathematics Survival Kit. It's written by Professor
Jack Weiner from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Weiner
has partnered with education software provider, Maple, to produce an
interactive e-book version of his math survival book. The University
of Guelph has taken the lead introducing e-books , intelligent assessment systems, and podcasts into its math curriculum. This next generation of educational technology provides teachers with more time to motivate
students and improve their comprehensive retention. Student's interest
in math, grade averages, and success rates have reportedly improved.
In this first of two parts, TBOOK speaks with Professor Weiner about
the state of math in North America.
Glenn Busby reports. (13:25)
**(Attention Program Directors and listeners. To read more about
The Mathematics Survival Kit and to view a product demonstration,
go online to: www.mathematicssurvivalkit.ca)**
EDUCATION HEADLINES AND UPDATES -
* Since we've been talking about math in the show today, the U.S. Department of Education just announced first year data from its SMART grants. That's Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent grants. Nearly 61-thousand students received almost 200-million dollars. SMART grants are for third and fourth year Pell grant eligible college students who've maintained a 3.0 GPA, and who major in math, science, or critical foreign languages.
* Education legislation is still getting bogged down in Washington politics. The House of Representatives has granted its eight extension to the Higher Education Act. This six-month extension runs out the end of April. The current HEA reauthorization ran out four years ago.
* And it may yet take more time for that renewal. House Education Committee Chairman, George Miller, says his preference is to complete action on the No Child Left Behind reauthorization before turning to the Higher Education Act renewal. According to a Roll Call article, Miller believes the NCLB bill may not be considered until the end of the year.
* Elsewhere in higher education, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, has released results of a recent survey. It reports that the Canadian campuses have increased their internationalizing efforts substantially since 2000, but need more federal money if they want to become even greater players on the global stage. The survey found that the number of foreign students on Canadian campuses has almost tripled over a decade. Three-quarters of Canadian universities now have education and training programs outside Canada. And there has been a large increase in the number of scholarships for foreign students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
* In contrast, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science found that at least 30% of Russian universities have major violations in the quality of education. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education , Russian higher education officials have started a campaign to revoke the operating licenses of many private and small state colleges. The actions began after a fire last month killed 10 students and injured 50 more in a private business college in Moscow. Regulators' complaints went beyond safety issues to include corruption, the sale of diplomas, unqualified staff, and lack of libraries.
Dr. Karen Hitchcock reports. (2:45)
MATH 1 on 1" -
According to reports from the U. S. National Center for Education Statistics, some 37% of high school math teachers lack a major, or certification in their field. Another study claims that in America's largest urban school districts,
nearly 95% report an immediate demand for mathematics teachers. To complete today's show, there's a new CD just out from a math teacher in
Florida that puts math learning into contemporary music.
Glenn Busby Reports. (1:43)
**(Attention Program Directors. For listeners who would like the two websites mentioned in the above story to learn more about this math aid, they are: www.hiphoptables.com and www.MATH1on1.com)**