Project SEED is a group of teachers that go into grade schools, teaching algebgra to fifth graders. One of the goals of the program is "learning by discovery"—an enlightened educational practice if ever I've heard of one. It was once said that whenever you tell a child something, you rob them of the chance to discover it, and that's partly true.

All indications show that the program is phenomenally successful at getting average kids in ordinary public schools to learn mathematical ideas that are substantially 'above grade level,' a fact which vindicates my long-standing insistence that schools don't offer the opportunity to learn, and that it's largely because of approach and method rather than because of resources and funding.

The teachers in the program are, I gather, mostly burnt out, or at least cynical, which is tragedy.

Can we all send them some brownies or something?