Norman Edmund’s Educational Blog

The New York Times Sunday Magazine (2/26/06) had an article about all the copy cats of No Child Left Behind (no vote left behind, no democrat left behind, etc.). So I’m joing the crowd with No Intellectual Left Behind. Here’s the paradox - our top intellectual leaders push our teachers to leave no child behind […]

I really am happy despite all my aches and pains. I just learned that Google book search has now put my book End the Biggest Educational and Intellectual Blunder in History on the internet. Thank you, Google, for this birthday present and for your contribution to the advancement of knowledge. Anyone interested doesn’t have […]

The February 23, 2006 issue of The Wall Street Journal has an article about how big employers, in their search for skilled workers, are backing career-driven summer camps. This is great, but they should also get behind my movement to teach the scientific method in all grades across the curriculum. This would increase the skills […]

The scientific method is a guide to mental activity stages. However, it also serves the purpose of being a discipline for those following it. It keeps them on the right track, trains them not to ignore contrary evidence, encourages them to be ethical, seek creative solutions, to test, etc. Thus, it lives up to its […]

An article by Mindy Sink with the above title appeared in the Science Times section of The New York Times on February 21, 2006. It describes a growing movement of Cafe Scientifiques that has sprung up. These are informal meetings in cafes, bars, etc. at which scientists answer questions from attendees about science. Sigma […]

Today is Presidents’ Day. Although this is a day to celebrate our country’s presidents, it reminds me of my problem with presidents of our educational and intellectual organizations. In the years since the publication of my first pamphlets and special reports, I have written to many organization presidents. The results have been disappointing. None has […]

There has long been a debate about whether we should have ability grouping in K-12 education. The general opinion is that it shouldn’t be done. An article in Education Week (February 8, 2006) reporting on a study said, “Among language-minority children who primarily speak Spanish at home, ability grouping boosts school performance in early grades.”
We […]

Most of the organizations I challenged would love to receive $100,000 to aid their activities.
The trouble is, I claim, they know they can’t prove me wrong.
If an organization didn’t want to set a precedent by accepting a public challenge, it should have started an internal investigation into the correctness of its policy of ignoring the […]

In my book End the Biggest Educational and Intellectual Blunder in History I challenged 17 organizations that I had previously challenged, but this time I offered $100,000 to one that would accept the challenge and prove me wrong.
Thinking about it now, I should have dropped the government agencies and added a few others, such as […]

I’ve received a few letters of encouragement, but on the whole people are indifferent or adverse to admitting that a huge blunder about the scientific method has occurred. Change requires them to make substantial alterations to their thinking and activities.
Tomorrow I will report on the results of my challenge to the organizations listed in my […]