The hottest Curriculum Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

🏫⤴ Why every student should study the history of progress

Faster, Please! • 1005 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Students should learn about the history of progress to understand the inventions that shaped our world. This knowledge helps them see how innovation impacts daily life.
  2. A new class on the history of progress would include important inventions, like the spinning jenny and the internet. Learning this history can help students make sense of modern challenges.
  3. Understanding technology isn't just about gadgets; it's about knowing how society works. This knowledge helps people appreciate advances that improve our lives, like medicine and sanitation.

A Missing Textbook Diagram

Bet On It • 166 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. A simple diagram that maps benefits against costs would be a handy teaching tool for intro and intermediate economics and public policy classes. It makes tradeoffs easy to see at a glance.
  2. Adding extreme categories like “Sky High” benefits and “Rock Bottom” costs shows why some policies remain sensible even when critics point to large costs — very large benefits can outweigh high costs.
  3. The idea is intuitive and practical and, despite parallels in business teaching, feels like a fresh, useful addition that textbooks should include.

Part 2, Breaking the bureaucratic mold of instruction

Unsafe Science • 42 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Universities often proclaim values like critical thinking and open debate, but growing surveillance and tight classroom controls can quietly undermine those ideals.
  2. Students and institutional pressures push education toward measurable outcomes, detailed rubrics, and atomized syllabi, turning learning into scorekeeping instead of exploration.
  3. Instructors can push back by leaving room in the syllabus, encouraging student initiative and struggle, and treating knowledge as testable hypotheses rather than demanding one cookbook solution.

Conformity and Education

In My Tribe • 516 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Many parents actually prefer a conforming and safe school environment for their kids rather than a strict focus on academic excellence.
  2. Colleges often fail to teach effectively because they don't measure or reward good teaching, focusing instead on research credentials.
  3. Active learning is known to be more effective, but many colleges still stick to old lecture methods because most people value conformity over true learning.

Yes, Americans Really Care About Education

Holly’s Newsletter • 1626 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Americans care about education, but there are concerns about the public school system.
  2. The public school system is criticized for its failures in expectations, curriculum, and focus on political activism.
  3. The debate includes arguments about standardized testing, impact of COVID on students, and the issue of teacher pay and appreciation.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

This week in the science of learning, August 25, 2024

The Bell Ringer • 19 implied HN points • 25 Aug 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Teaching reading is a mix of art and science. Teachers need to use research but also rely on their own experience to help students learn.
  2. Meaningful knowledge helps students connect what they learn to related ideas. This makes learning more useful and encourages deeper understanding.
  3. Building strong relationships between teachers and parents can help support students. Parents should talk to their kids about learning and current events to strengthen this connection.

Some Recent Essays on Schooling

In My Tribe • 303 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The Null Hypothesis suggests that many education methods don't really change student learning over time. When improvements do happen, they often fade away later.
  2. Extrinsic motivation, like rewards, can be a strong driver for student achievement. Personalized rewards for students can help them engage better in their learning.
  3. Different students have varied learning needs, and a one-size-fits-all approach might not work. Many students thrive in structured environments where they learn together, even if it feels less exciting.

Putting the "M" in STEM

The Bell Ringer • 239 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Math is really important in STEM fields, but schools need to focus more on improving math skills. We need better math education to succeed in science and technology.
  2. Many people talk a lot about STEM, but they often overlook how crucial math is to it. If we want to see progress, math achievement needs to be a priority in education.
  3. To get students excited about STEM, we should encourage a strong foundation in math from an early age. This can help build confidence and interest in science and technology careers.

AI Does Not Fit the Shape of Schooling

Mathworlds • 550 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Schooling has a multidimensional shape with various purposes like cognitive development and social development.
  2. AI models need to align with the full visions for learning, beyond what AI can currently model well.
  3. In classroom settings, AI may have potential for teacher support and professional development, but may not fit within the primary vehicle for student learning.

Notebook: (2) Classroom Libraries

Book Post • 314 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. New legislation is being introduced to protect library collections from political interference.
  2. Efforts are being made to provide free books and support for restricted books through private initiatives.
  3. There is a debate over teaching methods in early childhood education, with concerns about prioritizing 'Science of Reading' and its impact on student-directed reading and diverse classroom libraries.

Unlocked: Teaching math with John Mighton

The Bell Ringer • 79 implied HN points • 31 May 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. John Mighton emphasizes the importance of understanding math concepts rather than just memorizing formulas. This helps students develop deeper problem-solving skills.
  2. Focusing on problem-solving in math education encourages critical thinking and creativity in students.
  3. Teaching math should be about making connections and understanding rather than just practicing procedures. This approach can make learning more enjoyable.

From ChatGPT Back to Clay & Cuneiform: A Start at Rethinking Pedagogy for the Age of "AI"

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 322 implied HN points • 31 May 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Education needs to focus on what students should remember and be able to do, rather than just what they can get from AI like chatbots.
  2. Instead of banning AI, we should find ways to use it in learning, just like we adapted to calculators in math classes.
  3. Understanding the basics behind complex tools like AI is important, as all tools have limitations and can miss important details.

Teaching math with John Mighton

The Bell Ringer • 99 implied HN points • 10 May 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Kids can get confused easily when we push them too hard with complex ideas. It's important to teach in a way that builds understanding step by step.
  2. Real learning happens when we focus on what students can grasp, not just on covering a lot of content. It's better to let them understand the basics well.
  3. Using evidence from research helps improve how we teach math. This can help solve the ongoing debates about the best ways to learn math.

Lazy Brain

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 6 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. People are increasingly using AI as a shortcut to avoid hard mental work, and that trend risks weakening our capacity to reason and think deeply.
  2. AI can be a useful tool for tasks like searching or coding, but it shouldn’t replace developing real thinking skills or the unique value of human, artisanal creativity.
  3. Education’s main purpose is to build the mental muscles needed for professional and civic life, so relying on AI instead of practicing reasoning will leave people ill-prepared for complex roles.

Maths until 18

Logging the World • 418 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The proposal for compulsory math education until age 18 in the UK received mixed reactions, highlighting the importance of making math appealing and accessible to a wide audience.
  2. Implementing math education until 18 requires consideration of factors like shortage of math teachers and effective delivery methods such as leveraging online resources.
  3. Math education should cover areas such as practical number skills, understanding uncertainty and randomness, and exploring connections between math and other subjects like art and music.

Teachers Became Activists, and Censorship Followed

KERFUFFLE • 31 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Teachers in public schools have become more openly political and have taken activist roles in classrooms and on campuses.
  2. In response, schools — notably in California — have introduced new speech rules that restrict what students and staff can say about the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.
  3. This politicization of education has led to increased censorship and a shrinking space for open discussion of controversial topics.

The Wastefulness of Schools

Doc Hammer's Anvil • 294 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Bryan has the Burden of Proof - His arguments require solid evidence.
  2. The Sheepskin Effect Isn't Just Signaling - Diploma holders earn more for finishing.
  3. Schools Teach Conformity - They emphasize following rules and being reliable.

Kids Get Schooled on Radical Politics

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1066 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Children at a Brooklyn public elementary school are taught about Black Lives Matter's principles using a coloring book, introducing terms like 'Queer Affirming' and 'Transgender Affirming.'
  2. Some parents are concerned about the political and communist undertones in the educational material, questioning the appropriateness for elementary school students.
  3. The coloring book used by the school focuses on promoting Black Lives Matter's ideology but lacks in teaching specific black historical figures, leading to concerns about presenting controversial ideas as facts.

How To Fix Math(s) Education

Insight Axis • 276 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Math education should focus on real-world problems to make it interesting and meaningful for students.
  2. Students should be taught a structured process of defining, abstracting, computing, and interpreting problems in math.
  3. School math should prioritize applied mathematics to show the practical utility of math, cater to the majority, and prepare students for the future.

How do you define quality in higher education?

The Recovering Academic • 217 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Quality in higher education is not just about academic content; it also involves factors like faculty-student relationships and the overall health of the institution.
  2. General education requirements should be reimagined to focus on developing essential skills and qualities in students, rather than just breadth of knowledge.
  3. Institutions should consider aligning their educational offerings with what students actually value and seek in order to adapt to changing dynamics in higher education.

Seminar has real content

In My Tribe • 121 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The seminar now has real content with six chapters that are in good shape.
  2. There's an interactive feature where you can ask questions and get interesting responses from an AI professor and students.
  3. The creator wants feedback from professors and curious students about using this instead of traditional textbooks.

Accessing the Bonus Content in Your Curriculum

Mathworlds • 196 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Teachers find ways to access bonus content in the curriculum, going beyond what's expected.
  2. Good curriculum lets teachers offer bonus content to students through ingenuity and pedagogy.
  3. In engaging classrooms, students' ideas and thinking become the focus, essentially becoming the curriculum.

Trash Cans and Math Policy

SFEDup • 98 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. San Francisco tried to create its own trash can but had to stop due to budget issues
  2. San Francisco Unified School District is considering changing its math policy and creating new math pathways
  3. The school district should learn from how other districts address similar issues and consider increasing instructional time for math

The Palindrome in 2026

The Palindrome • 3 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The focus this year is on deep technical teaching: finishing a hands-on machine learning book and publishing algorithm implementations, with more explainer and animated videos alongside written posts.
  2. Paid subscribers will get exclusive, intensive 4-6 hour workshops that compress course content into single-day sessions, starting with a mathematics of machine learning workshop and later a neural networks course.
  3. The operation is scaling by hiring regular contributing educators and investing in tooling like the open-source nb2wb to automate publishing Jupyter Notebooks and speed up production.

Renovations to the ivory tower

The Bell Ringer • 59 implied HN points • 22 Mar 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Understanding how people learn is crucial for effective teaching. Teachers need to know learning styles to help students better.
  2. There are new resources and issues focusing on how novices learn. This can guide both educators and parents in supporting students.
  3. The importance of evidence-based approaches in education is growing. Relying on research can improve teaching strategies and student outcomes.

Book review: Math-ish and Math Mind

The Bell Ringer • 3 HN points • 30 Aug 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Kids may not be learning math deeply if they only focus on concepts without practicing basic skills. Just like music, understanding math requires more than just thinking about it—it needs practice and foundational knowledge.
  2. Two new books suggest that creativity and a positive mindset toward math can help kids learn effectively. However, it’s important to also teach the necessary skills and techniques for actually doing math.
  3. There's a concern that these books might promote a 'think system' approach to math education, which could overlook the important learning processes. Skills in math, as in music, come from practice and mastering the basics.

Strong Students Aren't Always Ready for More

Pershmail • 137 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Strong students may not always be ready for more challenging material.
  2. Mathematics education is not a one-size-fits-all journey, some students have specific areas of interest and may not be ready for broader mathematical growth.
  3. Kids may have peaks of interest in specific mathematical topics, and that's completely normal, parents should be aware of this and educator should offer real challenges to help them grow.

Links to Consider, 10/29/2024

In My Tribe • 227 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The Socratic Experience aims to change education by focusing on personal growth and happiness instead of just curriculum. The goal is to reach millions of students by 2050, which shows it’s about making a positive impact rather than just profit.
  2. Since 2020, the U.S. has seen a big rise in debt, especially government debt, compared to its economic growth. This raises concerns about the sustainability of such debt levels.
  3. The UAE offers greater freedom for work and living compared to many Western countries. Its approach to immigration is different and aims to invite all people for better opportunities.

Does cursive writing offer educational benefits over printing?

The Science of Learning • 119 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Handwriting, whether cursive or printing, is better than typing for young kids. It helps them with spelling, letter recognition, and memory.
  2. There is no solid proof that cursive writing is better for cognitive skills than printing. Both styles seem to be pretty equal in benefits.
  3. The claims about cursive writing being more helpful for critical thinking or expression are not supported by research. It's important for kids to practice any handwriting to become fluent.

Diversity is the Inverse of University

Unsafe Science • 54 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Many believe that top universities are losing their academic rigor and standards because of diversity and inclusion policies. This shift makes it hard to compare these schools to their former prestigious selves.
  2. Academic freedom is declining in British universities, with hiring practices focusing more on ideological beliefs than on qualification. This approach can limit the types of research conducted and ideas allowed.
  3. There is a call for reform to restore the integrity of higher education by emphasizing academic merit and freedom. Some political movements in the UK are pushing back against current trends to bring about change.

We Can't Have A Consensus History

Outlandish Claims • 19 implied HN points • 17 May 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Standardized history education has become impossible, and we should stop trying to force a consensus.
  2. The cyberpunk genre's predictions about inequality and information technology have largely come true, but virtual reality as a dominant force did not materialize.
  3. History education should encourage individual exploration and discussions, rather than enforcing a set curriculum, to allow for diverse perspectives and avoid indoctrination.

How to afford homeschooling 💰

joinmodulo • 98 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Homeschooling is more affordable than you might think, with many families spending an average of $600-$1800/year on education.
  2. The biggest expense to consider when homeschooling is childcare, and families should explore creative solutions like swapping care with other parents.
  3. Consider the costs of living, such as housing near good schools, when evaluating the affordability of homeschooling.

What does 'equity' mean?

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 140 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Schools may prevent advanced students from excelling in their subjects because it is deemed unfair to those who are struggling. This can limit the potential of talented students.
  2. The concept of 'equity' can sometimes be used to excuse practices that are not truly fair or effective. Instead, it can lead to a situation where everyone is held back instead of finding ways to help those who need support.
  3. In professional settings, like medical interviews, virtual options are defended as equitable, but this can make the process less serious and impersonal. The focus should be on genuine fairness instead of just using equity as an excuse.

Skills we need for the AI-driven world

10x your mind • 79 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Machines are advancing rapidly, and we need to identify skills to stay relevant amidst automation.
  2. Skills like smarter decision-making, clarity in thinking, and asking the right questions are crucial for navigating the AI-driven world.
  3. Emotional intelligence and the ability to reinvent ourselves are becoming increasingly important in the face of evolving technology.

8th Grade Algebra and Math Acceleration

SFEDup • 78 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. SFUSD is facing challenges in meeting Math proficiency rates and its current Math pathway has faced criticism.
  2. Other districts offer various methods for Math acceleration, including doubling up, compression courses, and early differentiation in middle school.
  3. There are different approaches to Math education across districts, with some focusing on allowing students to accelerate earlier while others prioritize a more uniform progression.

sunday memepool: an education

bad cattitude • 101 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. Education is evolving, and it's important to stay updated. Keep learning about new trends and methods.
  2. There are many modern issues that require fresh thinking. It's good to approach problems with a new perspective.
  3. Engaging with communities can provide valuable insights. Sharing experiences and ideas can help everyone grow.

A crisis in epistemology

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. We need to rethink what to teach as AI becomes more capable. It's important to understand the basics of how things work, not just rely on AI to do it for us.
  2. Trust is becoming harder in our knowledge sources. With the rise of fake evidence and statistics, we must be careful where we get our information.
  3. The future of learning should focus on teaching people how to learn effectively. This includes critical thinking skills, understanding biases, and the scientific method.

sunday memepool: gato's home schoolin'

bad cattitude • 105 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
🚌 Education Curriculum
  1. The education system isn't broken; it's doing what it was designed to do. We need to recognize that and adjust how we teach to make it more effective.
  2. Teaching kids important skills is vital. If we don't step in, they might not be ready for tough jobs in the future.
  3. Homeschooling can be a good alternative to standard education. It allows for tailored learning that meets a child's specific needs.