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Keith Devlin (pictured above), a well-known author on mathematics for the general public with a monthly column, "Devlin's Angle" in the Mathematics Association of America's journal. The column is available on-line. Here is more about Mr. Devlin: "Mathematician Keith Devlin (email: devlin@csli.stanford.edu) is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University and The Math Guy on NPR's Weekend Edition. Devlin's most recent book, Solving Crimes with Mathematics: THE NUMBERS BEHIND NUMB3RS, is the companion book to the hit television crime series NUMB3RS, and is co-written with Professor Gary Lorden of Caltech, the lead mathematics adviser on the series. It was published in September by Plume." Devlin's current column, entitled "Lockhart's Lament," is dedicated to a remarkable essay written in 2002 by a mathematics teacher from NYC by the name of Paul Lockhart. The Lockhart piece, ava...

Several new articles about the President's Math Panel Report are available now live on The Pulse: " Presidential Panel Vows to Increase Learning Disabilities " by Gary Stager; " Just the Facts, Ma'am " by Roger Schank; " Mathematics and Policy " by David Thornburg; " Another Pi Day Ruined by Presidential Politics " by Michael Paul Goldenberg.

How do we effectively effect remediation for students who are desperately behind state and districts grade level expectations? Or behind reasonable developmental expectations, which may not necessarily be the same thing? Regardless of issues of tracking, there are always going to be students who need remediation in mathematics as things currently stand (I tend not to make very long-range predictions, but I don't see this situation changing in my lifetime). In my experience observing K-12 mathematics teaching (as well as community college and university), the most common approach is what I have come to call "louder and slower." [L&S] Rather than attempt something different, many teachers seem to believe that teaching mathematics to those who aren't getting it can be best done in the same way many people try to communicate with foreigners: say the same exact thing you just failed to communicate, but do it louder and slower. Of course, in the real world, even many in...