What Is Wrong With American Education?

As with everything else the question is best answered by "it depends!" In this case it depends on who you ask. 

Ask many reformers and they’ll assure you there is plenty wrong as shown by the poor showing American students make on international standardized tests. We can not completely ignore that.
But ask Scot Osterweil, a professor at the MIT Media Lab, and he will tell you that he believes educators need to worry less about standardized tests and work harder toward inspiring students' natural creativity.

Why kids take on adult math anxiety

Of course the answer to the question posed by the title of this article is simple: Adults!
Adults instill in children their own feelings about certain learning disciplines like math and science.
Studies show that children tend to follow the lead of the same-sex parent where learning is concerned. Mothers discouraging daughters, fathers discouraging sons.

But both are guilty of perpetuating harmful stereotypes with comments like "girls are usually better readers", or "boys do better at math!"
Teachers, in spite of their training are often guilty of the same mistakes when working with kids. 

 

How to improve Math proficiency in 21st century classroom

Once upon a time...and not all that long ago, teachers found motivating youngsters to engage themselves in the wonders of mathematics a difficult proposition--which is not to say that educators here in the 21st Century have completely overcome all the difficulties. No, it still takes a committed teacher to break down the barriers both societal and unique to the child to get it done.

Prof. Alfred Posamentier, Dean and professor of mathematics education at Mercy College, NY suggests 9 strategies a teacher might use to engage students with mathematics: