Monthly Archives: April 2016

Why should STEM advocates take responsibility for the tough message that college-bound students should take chemistry, physics, precalculus and calculus in high school? The results of a 2007 study of Florida’s high school graduating class of 1999 by researchers at … Continue reading →

During a visit with parents and students at Panama City’s Mosley High School on Tuesday evening, I started my discussion with this assertion:  Every college-bound student should be prepared to choose any major. That is, every student arriving on a … Continue reading →

What separates scholars from bureaucrats is that scholars stand by their own research and beliefs. I happen to be a scholar, but in a very important way it doesn’t matter that I am.  I am a tenured full professor, and … Continue reading →

This might turn out to be a good two years for college science teaching reform.  In addition to the statement by incoming Senate President Negron at UF on Tuesday, there was also this on Tuesday at UNF, as reported by … Continue reading →

From the account by the Gainesville Sun of Senator Joe Negron’s visit to the University of Florida yesterday during his “listening tour” of the state’s public universities: The classes are too large at UF.  There are too many freshmen and sophomores in … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Bridge to Tomorrow:
Do students learn more in a physics MOOC than in a traditional lecture class?  An MIT study says yes (some), but the same study says that “interactive engagement pedagogy” like the SCALE-UP model used…

Originally posted on Bridge to Tomorrow:
With the advent of MOOC’s and other technological means of beaming non-interactive lectures to students, does it make any sense to spend scarce public resources building new $5 million 500-seat lecture halls at state-supported…

For the last several years, much of the new funding coming into Florida’s public universities has been allocated via the performance funding mechanism, which awards universities funding according to system-wide metrics as well as institution-specific metrics. One of the system-wide … Continue reading →

Florida is facing at least two teaching crises in its K-12 schools. The one that is currently in the headlines is the shortage of strong teachers who are willing to teach in the state’s most socioeconomically challenged schools.  Pinellas County … Continue reading →

Leslie Postal’s article starts like this: Florida teachers who benefited from the state’s controversial “best and brightest” bonus plan are more than twice as likely to work with students from more affluent families than with youngsters living in poverty, an … Continue reading →