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Math Academy
7 months ago
- Math Academy targets students with math aptitude and dedication, offering adaptive learning.
- Courses are accredited by ACS WASC, same as Stanford, UCLA, etc.
- Offers courses from elementary to university level, aligned with Common Core Standards.
- Highly configurable to individual needs with progress tracking and notifications.
- Money-back guarantee if unsatisfied within the first month, no long-term contracts.
Open Source Blueprints for Civilization
7 months ago
- Open Source Ecology is developing open source industrial machines at a fraction of commercial costs.
- The goal is to create an open source economy through open collaboration.
- Future Builders Academy offers interdisciplinary learning in literacy, numeracy, oracy, emotional literacy, and moral literacy.
- Builder Crash Course (Sep 1-14, 2025) includes building a modular 800 sq ft home with photovoltaics and learning design tools.
- Build Your Own House in 6 Weeks (Sep 15 – Oct 31, 2025) offers a chance to build a starter home with expert guidance.
- Participation in the founding cohort is free by application only.
Basic Math Textbook: The Napkin Project
7 months ago
- The Napkin project (v1.6) is available for download, including the most recent draft and cover art.
- Project status indicates version 1.6 includes new chapters, typo fixes, and cover artwork, with more chapters planned.
- Users are encouraged to submit corrections, suggestions, or comments via GitHub pull requests or issues.
- An Infinitely Large Napkin is an introduction to higher math, covering undergraduate to first-year graduate topics with a focus on main ideas.
- The Napkin provides precise definitions and theorem statements but prioritizes intuitive explanations over formal proofs.
- Individual PDF parts are available for download, though hyperlinks across parts may not work.
- A flowchart by chapter number is provided for navigation.
- The project includes a community working on human-readable and Lean4 proofs of Napkin problems and examples.
Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools
7 months ago
- Stephen King is the most banned author in U.S. schools, with 206 instances of his books being censored.
- PEN America's report 'Banned in the USA' tracks over 6,800 book bans for the 2024-2025 school year, down from over 10,000 the previous year.
- 80% of book bans originate from Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, states with laws targeting objectionable content.
- Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey have laws limiting book bans, resulting in few or no removals.
- The most banned single work is Anthony Burgess's 'A Clockwork Orange,' with 23 removals.
- Common reasons for bans include LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of race, and scenes of violence or sexual violence.
- Many books are preemptively removed due to fear of controversy rather than direct complaints.
- The Department of Education has dismissed book bans as a 'hoax,' while the Department of Defense removed hundreds of books from military family schools.
- PEN's data is incomplete due to lack of documentation in some states and the difficulty of tracking statewide impacts.
- Book bans are increasingly hard to quantify, with many removals not publicly reported.
Gifted children are special needs children
7 months ago
- Zohran Mamdami plans to phase out NYC's gifted and talented (G&T) programs, starting with kindergarten.
- Critics argue G&T programs exacerbate segregation, with 70% of students being white or Asian despite making up 35% of total enrollment.
- Asian students disproportionately benefit from G&T programs, making up 43% of the kindergarten program despite being 18% of the public school population.
- The author argues G&T programs select for merit and effort, and eliminating them would leave gifted children underserved.
- Gifted children are compared to special needs children, as lack of challenge can harm their development.
- The anti-G&T stance is criticized as illogical, as even egalitarian societies historically nurtured talent.
- The author finds the policy deeply wrong and disheartening, unable to understand the opposing viewpoint.
Time Warp IDE – Complete environment for old-school coding
7 months ago
- TimeWarp Compiler is a command-line tool that compiles educational programming languages (PILOT, BASIC, Logo) to native Linux executables.
- Supported languages include PILOT (1960s), BASIC (1960s), and Logo (1960s).
- Features include GCC compilation to generate optimized C code, cross-platform Linux executables, and standalone binaries with no runtime dependencies.
- Comprehensive examples provided for each language, demonstrating basic to advanced features.
- Installation requires Python 3.9 or higher, GCC, and Linux OS.
- Usage examples include compiling BASIC, Logo, and PILOT programs into executables.
- Compiler options allow specifying output names, listing supported languages, and displaying version information.
- Sample code snippets provided for BASIC, Logo, and PILOT, showcasing language features.
- Compiler architecture involves parsing source code, generating optimized C code, and compiling to native binaries.
- Extensible framework allows adding new languages by implementing specific methods and including runtime libraries.
- Project encourages contributions, with areas for improvement including new languages, performance optimization, and platform support.
- Licensed under MIT License, with acknowledgments to original language inspirations and tools used.
A practical case on why we need the humanities
7 months ago
- The humanities encompass disciplines like history, literature, philosophy, and art history, focusing on human society and culture.
- Humanities differ from STEM in methodology, dealing with subjects that resist scientific or mathematical reduction.
- Traditional defenses of the humanities emphasize personal enrichment, but this is insufficient for justifying public funding.
- Humanities education fosters skills like critical thinking, empathy, and effective communication, which are vital for leadership.
- The decline in humanities funding risks making it an elite pursuit, reversing gains in accessibility.
- Humanities contribute to soft power, influencing culture and geopolitical dynamics, as seen in the Cold War.
- A pragmatic defense of the humanities argues they produce societal benefits, akin to STEM's tangible outputs.
- Humanities education is essential for addressing human-centric problems, complementing STEM's focus on technical solutions.
- The post critiques the narrowing of cultural references and the stagnation in creativity, linking it to humanities' marginalization.
- The argument concludes with a call to reintegrate humanities into education to foster wisdom and address contemporary challenges.
Why do Stanford math professors still use chalk?
7 months ago
- Stanford math faculty and students prefer chalkboards over digital projections for teaching.
- Hagoromo chalk from Japan is highly favored among mathematicians, leading to stockpiling when its production was threatened.
- Chalkboards allow for better pacing and retention in lectures compared to slides.
- The spaciousness of chalkboards aids in teaching complex mathematical derivations.
- Chalkboards are more durable and environmentally friendly than whiteboards.
- Despite their benefits, chalkboards are becoming less common in high schools.
- The tradition and tactile experience of using chalkboards keep them popular in math education.
America Is Sliding Toward Illiteracy
7 months ago
- American education has seen a significant decline in student performance over the past decade, with test scores regressing to levels not seen in 25 years.
- The decline is not evenly distributed; the bottom tenth of students are performing worse, while the top tenth remain stable, increasing educational inequality.
- Increased school spending has not improved outcomes, with pandemic relief funds largely wasted on non-educational expenses.
- Smartphones and social media are identified as potential culprits for declining performance, especially among Gen Z, though this doesn't fully explain the drop in elementary school performance.
- The 'low-expectations theory' suggests schools demand less from students, leading to lower effort and achievement, supported by rising grades despite declining mastery.
- Mississippi and other southern states have shown significant improvements in education by enforcing high standards and providing necessary resources, dubbed the 'Mississippi miracle.'
- Educational reforms like charter schools and merit-based pay face resistance from progressive Democrats and teachers' unions, despite evidence of their effectiveness.
- The economic cost of declining education is immense, with projections of lower lifetime earnings and reduced GDP growth.
- Artificial intelligence may not offset these economic losses, as technological advancements tend to benefit high-skilled workers more.
- The U.S. faces challenges to its scientific and technological leadership, exacerbated by restrictive immigration policies under the Trump administration.
Why the numbers 6-7 are driving math teachers up the wall
6 months ago
- The number 67 is causing a commotion among kids, especially Gen Alpha, who shout 'six-seven' as slang.
- Possible origins include a police code (10-67 for death), a song by Philly rapper Skrilla, or NBA player LaMelo Ball's height (6'7").
- Kids use 'six-seven' as a filler word or to describe something average, though it generally means nothing.
- Math teachers are frustrated as students frequently yell 'six-seven' in class, leading some to ban it.
- Educators suggest embracing the trend, like using it as a call-and-response in classrooms.
- Language experts argue it's not 'brain rot' but a way for kids to feel part of an inside joke.
- Parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy highlights the importance of belonging for kids in this trend.
x86-64 Playground – An online assembly editor and GDB-like debugger
6 months ago
- x86-64 Playground is a web app for experimenting with x86-64 assembly.
- Supports writing, compiling, and sharing assembly code for GNU As, Fasm, and Nasm.
- Allows step-by-step execution and inspection of memory and registers via a GDB-like interface.
- Users can upload and debug their own x86-64-Linux static executables.
- Designed for learning binary exploitation with GDB+PwnGDB-like visualizations.
- Works alongside Compiler Explorer for a noise-free learning environment.
- Mobile-friendly and embeddable in web pages for interactive tutorials.
- Open-source, powered by Blink Emulator, running entirely client-side in the browser.
- Functions offline after initial load, ensuring privacy and no server dependency.
Long Covid Is Real – and It's Changing a Generation
6 months ago
- Long Covid is a real and debilitating condition affecting millions, including children, with symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, and persistent vomiting.
- Children with Long Covid face significant challenges in school, including difficulties in obtaining necessary accommodations and skepticism from educators and medical professionals.
- Federal support and research funding for Long Covid have been reduced, impacting access to diagnostic tests, treatments, and special education services.
- Families report struggles with schools not recognizing Long Covid as a legitimate condition, leading to inadequate accommodations and threats of truancy.
- The number of children requiring special education services has increased post-pandemic, yet many with Long Covid are still denied necessary support.
- Long Covid clinics for children are scarce, leading to long waitlists and many kids going undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
- Chronic absenteeism in schools has nearly doubled since the pandemic, with Long Covid contributing to this trend, yet schools often lack policies to address medical absences related to the condition.
- Political and budgetary decisions are further jeopardizing support for children with Long Covid, including potential cuts to Medicaid and special education funding.
- Parents and children describe the emotional and social toll of Long Covid, including isolation, loss of friendships, and diminished hope for the future.
- Despite the challenges, some children with Long Covid are finding ways to move forward, such as through virtual education or specialized treatments, though the long-term impacts remain uncertain.
Creating an Igcse Pseudocode Interpreter
7 months ago
- Introduction to beancode, an IGCSE pseudocode interpreter.
- Features include lowercase keywords, file inclusion, FFI modules, and custom scopes.
- Added intrinsics, type casting, and type inference features.
- Support for array and matrix literals.
- Quirks include limitations in CASE OF statements and file I/O issues.
- REPL features include variable inspection and interpreter state management.
- Performance varies by Python implementation, with PyPy offering significant improvements.
- Future plans include developing a proper compiler and bytecode VM.
Code from MIT's 1986 SICP video lectures
7 months ago
- MIT lectures on Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs from 1986 are available online in poor quality (240p/360p).
- The project aims to make the lectures' code and content readable and available in digital format.
- Consistency in notation, comments, and indentation was maintained, with improvements for readability.
- Lecture breaks and content types (SLIDE, TERMINAL, BOARD) are marked with timestamps.
- Comments and remarks were added to aid comprehension.
- Files have .scm extension but contain literal transcriptions, not all compilable as code.
- Rare code fixes were noted with ':!' or ';!'.
- The content is clearly readable but not all text is 'textable'.
- Goal to standardize syntax and style across transcription files.
Computer Science Courses That Don't Exist, but Should (2015)
6 months ago
- Learn to create and use variables outside of an object hierarchy.
- Understand functions, which are more generally useful than methods.
- Prerequisite: Familiarity with abstract base classes.
- CSCI 3300: Study historically significant software like VisiCalc, AppleWorks, and Zork, focusing on UI and creativity under hardware constraints.
- CSCI 4020: Write high-performance Python code that rivals C++ in speed and robustness.
- CSCI 2170: Apply UX principles to command line tools, focusing on output relevance and readability, with UNIX 'ls' as a case study.
- PSYC 4410: Explore programmer obsessions like code formatting, taxonomy, and knee-jerk criticism of unfamiliar systems.
- James Hague: A veteran game designer since the 1980s, advocating for balanced programming practices and organizational skills over algorithmic obsession.
- Check out 'Programming Without Being Obsessed With Programming' and 'Organizational Skills Beat Algorithmic Wizardry' for insights.
- For older content, refer to the 2012 Retrospective.
The Programming Languages Zoo
6 months ago
- The Programming Languages Zoo is a collection of miniature programming languages demonstrating various concepts in language design and implementation.
- Features include functional, declarative, object-oriented, and procedural languages, parsing, type systems, evaluation strategies, and more.
- Languages showcased include miniml_error, minihaskell, miniprolog, levy, comm, calc, sub, boa, lambda, calc_var, miniml, and poly.
- Installation and compilation instructions are provided for each language.
- Languages are not meant for practical use but for studying source code, which is well-commented and includes READMEs and examples.
- Each language can be executed with command-line options, run interactively or non-interactively, and load files.
- The project is open-source under the MIT license and welcomes contributions through GitHub.
- Contributions can include fixing issues, resolving open issues, or proposing new languages following contribution guidelines.
Teacher effects on student achievement and height: a cautionary tale
6 months ago
- Teacher value-added measures are widely used to assess teacher performance based on student learning outcomes.
- The study tests the validity of value-added models by applying them to an outcome teachers cannot influence: student height.
- Findings show that teacher effects on height are nearly as variable as those on math and reading achievement, suggesting spurious variation.
- The results indicate that much of the variation in teacher effect estimates is noise rather than actual bias from unobserved factors.
- The paper warns against the practical use of value-added models due to challenges in distinguishing signal from noise in teacher effect estimates.
Knowledge Is Worth Your Time
6 months ago
- Academics observe a transactional attitude among university students towards education, with disinterest in learning.
- High college costs and economic competition contribute to students viewing education as a financial transaction.
- No Child Left Behind Act's focus on standardized testing has negatively impacted students' engagement with learning.
- COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning made education more unpleasant and less effective for many students.
- Authoritarian trends and anti-education rhetoric create an environment where students question the value of learning.
- Education's true value lies in shaping the mind, not just in degrees or job prospects.
- PhD students risk limiting their intellectual growth by focusing narrowly on research-specific knowledge.
- Foundational coursework in fields like physics transforms cognitive skills and problem-solving approaches.
- Knowledge is a collective human legacy that each generation must preserve and pass on.
- Engaging with knowledge is essential for personal and societal resilience against authoritarianism.
Parents Fell in Love with Alpha School's Promise. Then They Wanted Out
6 months ago
- Kristine Barrios' 9-year-old daughter struggled with repetitive multiplication tasks in IXL software at Alpha School, leading to emotional distress.
- Alpha School uses the 2 Hour Learning model, relying on AI tutors and personalized learning software, claiming students learn twice as much in less time.
- Former employees and parents allege Alpha prioritizes metrics over student well-being, with reports of students experiencing stress, anxiety, and educational gaps.
- Alpha School expanded to Brownsville, Texas, targeting low-income Hispanic families, but faced criticism for lack of traditional curriculum and punitive reward systems.
- Parents reported their children fell behind in reading, writing, and comprehension after attending Alpha, with some requiring remedial work.
- Alpha's surveillance tools monitor student activity, including screen recordings and eye-tracking, raising privacy concerns.
- Despite controversies, Alpha has gained support from tech billionaires and expanded to multiple states, with plans for more campuses.
- Critics argue Alpha's model lacks human teaching adaptability, particularly in humanities, and fails to address individual learning needs.
Trump administration must restore grants for school counselors, judge rules
6 months ago
- Federal judge ruled the Trump administration must release millions in grants for school mental health workers.
- Grants were funded post-Uvalde shooting to hire counselors, psychologists, and social workers, focusing on rural areas.
- Trump administration opposed diversity considerations in awarding grants, cutting funding past December 2025.
- Ruling restores funding for some grantees in 16 Democratic-led states, e.g., $3.8M in Madera County, $8M in Marin County.
- Biden administration prioritized grants for increasing diverse counselors or those serving school districts directly.
- Trump administration argued grants conflicted with 'merit, fairness, and excellence in education'.
- Judge Evanson called the funding cuts arbitrary, citing harm like job losses in Maine's rural schools.
- Congress repeatedly reaffirmed the need for school mental health services through reauthorization and increased funding.
- Education Department failed to provide evidence or criteria for the 'best interest' decision.

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#education

Math Academy

Open Source Blueprints for Civilization

Basic Math Textbook: The Napkin Project

Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools

Gifted children are special needs children

Time Warp IDE – Complete environment for old-school coding

A practical case on why we need the humanities

Why do Stanford math professors still use chalk?

America Is Sliding Toward Illiteracy

Why the numbers 6-7 are driving math teachers up the wall

x86-64 Playground – An online assembly editor and GDB-like debugger

Long Covid Is Real – and It's Changing a Generation

Creating an Igcse Pseudocode Interpreter

Code from MIT's 1986 SICP video lectures

Computer Science Courses That Don't Exist, but Should (2015)

The Programming Languages Zoo

Teacher effects on student achievement and height: a cautionary tale

Knowledge Is Worth Your Time

Parents Fell in Love with Alpha School's Promise. Then They Wanted Out

Trump administration must restore grants for school counselors, judge rules