AFT Opens the Door for IBM

The NYTimes reports that IBM's supercomputer has moved beyond winning Jeopardy games against human opponents.  With the support and assistance of AFT's Randi Weingarten, IBM's Watson has now taken on Common Core 3rd grade math instruction as the initial step for becoming the lead teacher for U. S. schools, and beyond:

Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers’ union, said that one of the challenges of the Common Core has been that teachers are asked to teach math in a way they were never taught it themselves. Watson, she said, should be able to help with that

“We have moved from memorization and application of mathematical formulas to helping kids think it through,” Ms. Weingarten said. “If you don’t really, fundamentally understand that,” she said of the new methods, “it is root canal for an elementary-school teacher.”

I guess this is what Weingarten was talking about when she said, "we have to give teachers the necessary tools and resources to effectively teach the new standards."  No need for expensive professional development, and who knows, if things go as Bill Gates would like, we may eliminate the need for professional teacher preparation, altogether.

we have to give teachers the necessary tools and resources to effectively teach to the new standards or they are doomed to becoming another failed education reform." - See more at: http://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-poll-800-teachers-finds-strong-support-common-core-standards-and#sthash.Y0ddW1Ec.dpuf

We should remember, too, that it was Randi Weingarten who reminded us that "the Common Core standards should be a guide, not a straitjacket. They should inspire creativity for teachers and students."

we have to give teachers the necessary tools and resources to effectively teach to the new standards or they are doomed to becoming another failed education reform." - See more at: http://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-poll-800-teachers-finds-strong-support-common-core-standards-and#sthash.Y0ddW1Ec.dpuf