<p>thanks everyone for your input also for the OP answer. Will be interesting to see how this proposal shakes out.</p>
<p>This thread is interesting to me because I was just talking the other day with a friend whose wife teaches middle school math in the next district over from ours. He said that the way they teach math now (started last year) is that every student has a notebook computer with a math curriculum on it. The students work through their lessons at their own pace, so some kids fly through and get through essentially two years’ worth in a year, and others work at a different pace. The teacher rarely stands up in front of the class teaching a concept or giving examples - she is essentially in the room walking from student to student if someone needs some one on one help. My friend said his wife thought it was great because the kids can all work at their own pace, but something about it rubbed me wrong. I haven’t seen the curriculum they’re using, and I have seen some math books that were written well enough that you could actually use them to self teach, but most middle school texts I’ve seen don’t fall into that category.</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>It seems to me that this is still tracking, just tracking within one classroom rather than by having separate classrooms. Is money the motivator here, or philosophy, or politics?</p>
<p>p.s. About Canada: are classrooms there inclusive, or are students with disabilities or behavior problems separated out?</p>
<p>Pinot Noir, that sounds like the “flipped classroom” idea. The teacher rarely lectures and helps kids along. Sounds like the teacher likes it. I haven’t seen it. Not sure how I’d like it as a student, but it could be useful.</p>
<p>compmom, hadn’t thought of the whole thing as money saving - could be.</p>