There's a batch of smart articles this week, but, if you're short on time, read the one by E.D. Hirsch. It knits together PCM topics of background knowledge, chunking, the achievement gap, the global achievement gap, early learning, and the common core. Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed pairs well with it. ● Read articles by big-name edu-leaders covering the reform spectrum, like Alfie Kohn, Larry Cuban, Chester Finn, and Eric Hanushek. ● Get more informed on the research that delves into the effects on learning of sleep, exercise, and poverty. ● Every parent needs to hear about letting kids fail, so don’t miss the two excellent articles that serve the purpose. ● Who won the coveted Newbery and Caldecott Medals? ● Check out the amazing video game that lets kids do MIT neuroscience.
Parenting
Why Parents Need to Let Their Children Fail - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic
'D' Is for Divorce: Sesame Street Tackles Touchy Subject - Hannah Wasserman, Good
Tips for Parents to Help Teens De-Stress - Kelsey Sheehy
Helicopter Parents Make Children Miss Milestones - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times
Does College Put Kids on a 'Party Pathway'? - Annie Murphy Paul, Time
One Million Moms for Gun Control: New Movement - Lisa Belkin, HuffPost
Boy Scouts Rethink Gay Ban - Fowler and Campoy, Wall Street Journal
Learning
Are Sleepy Students Learning? - Daniel Willingham, Ask the Cognitive Scientist, AFT
Daily Exercise 'Significantly Improves'Kids' Test Scores - Graeme Paton, The Telegraph
How Poverty Influences Children's Brain Development - Ivan Semeniuk, Globe and Mail
Rethinking the Notion of 'Non-Cognitive' - David Conley, Education Week
How Video Games Change the Brain - Lydia Denworth, Scientific American
Education
A Wealth of Words - E. D. Hirsch, City Journal
For Obama's New Term, Start Here -Nicholas Kristof, New York Times
We Know the Answer, But What's the Question - Eric Hanushek, Education Next
Cutting to the Chase - Chester Finn, Education Next
Uncertainty in School Reform: The Untold Story - Larry Cuban, School Reform Blog
Why Punishment Doesn't Work - Alfie Kohn, Bridging Differences
Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School - Deborah Meier, Bridging Differences
A Tough Critique of Common Core on K-3 - Miller and Carlsson-Paige, Washington Post
Dan Pink: Selling Love of Learning to Students - Jennie Rose, Mind/Shift
Resources
Caldecott, Newbery Medal Winners Announced - Mia Galuppo, Hollywood Reporter
Apps and Tools for New Parents - Claire Cain Miller, New York Times
Foursquare Connects to Education - Al Shaw, ProPublica
This Video Game Lets You Do Real Neuroscience [2 min Video] - Hannah Sung, Globe and Mail
SimCityEDU Teaches Kids STEM in a Virtual World - Kate Freeman, Mashable
