The big topic this week was the new research out of Canada on spanking and mental health, reported by all major news outlets. Also this week, the Aspen Ideas Festival covered two questions relevant to parents. The first, should there be a “bar” exam for teachers, got unexpectedly posed by Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers. The second, can “character” be taught in schools, seems to be getting traction. Stress in China over its annual college entrance exam generated talk about the global education competition. Don’t miss the persuasive 5 minute clip of Nancy Lublin’s TED Talk about establishing a crisis text hot line for teens.
Parenting
Spanking Boosts Odds of Mental Illness - Kerry Sheridan, Vancouver Sun
New Spanking Research Not Really About Spanking - Richard Rende, Red Hot Parenting
Is Online Monitoring Parenting or Snooping? - Room for Debate, NYT
Are Kids Growing Up in a Big Brother World - Gwen Dewar, BabyCenter
Building a Better Family Road Trip - Glen and Larsen, Slate
Turning Young Girls Into Future Coding Superstars - Ariel Schwartz, FastCo.Exist
Learning
What Makes a Good Reader? - Martha Burns, PhD, Science of Learning Blog
Can E-Readers Ease Reading for Dyslexics? - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/Shift
Reinventing the Encyclopedia Game - John Rives, TED Talk
Can Character Be Taught? Video from Aspen Ideas Institute - Larry Ferlazzo, Websites of the Day
Education
Blogging is the New Persuasive Essay - Shelly Wright, Mind/Shift
A Bar Exam for Teachers? - Steve Clemons, The Atlantic
Do We Need a 'Bar Exam' for Teachers? - Liz Dwyer, GOOD
Burden of China's College Entrance Test Sets Off Debate - Edward Wong, NYT
US Schools Are Still Ahead, Way Ahead - Vivek Wadhwa, Businessweek
Global Ed Reforms are Infecting Schools Around the Globe - Pasi Sahlberg, Washington Post
Resources
New Virtual World Game Based on Picture Book Characters - Magic Town
Eddy's Number Party Wins Parent's Choice Silver Award - Science of Learning Blog
How Texing Can Save Teens Lives, Nancy Lublin TED Talk -Derek Baird, Barking Robot
