Re: improving textbooks -- some modest proposals

[Roger Haar <haar@PHYSICS.ARIZONA.EDU>]

HI,
        If the desired results of education reform is to
seek equality for US students with students in
other countries, why do we not just use their
methods and translate ( if necessary) their text
books?

        I would bet that most of those countries that do
so well on the international test use a pretty cut
and dry, study hard approach.

Thanks
Roger Haar


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Jane Jackson wrote:

>      The need for new approaches to curriculum and instruction is
> clear. Over the past fifteen years educators have been taking a
> hard look at American students' academic performance. In
> the realms of mathematics and science, we have learned that
> American students are outperformed by peers in many other
> countries.
>      Educators and employers alike express concerns
> about the literacy skills of America's youth. Within the last
> decade each major subject area has developed academic standards
> that raise the bar for student achievement and performance.
>     In order to meet these standards, teachers face new academic
> and pedagogical challenges. They must teach more
> challenging and extensive subject area content, they must
> develop different instructional strategies, and they must reach
> a wider range of students. Having a high-quality curriculum to
> guide instruction is a key to meeting these challenges.