This week a smart discussion over introverted students and class participation evolved around posts by a teacher, a wrongologist, and an introversion expert. ● Last week’s top article on how kids handle the pressures of accountability testing generated posts this week on how to help ‘worriers’ overcome test anxiety. ● President Obama’s SOTU tackled universal Pre-K (one of PCM's Top 10 Education Policies) and the global achievement gap. ● Do you have a strong opinion about how best to educate young children? Then the debate over whether the common core undermines early learning will interest you. ● Experts dispute if background knowledge is essential, elitist, or extraneous in the age of Google. ● Check out the fantastic new toys showcased at NYC’s annual Toy Fair.
Parenting
Introverted Kids Need to Learn to Speak Up at School - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic
Help Shy Kids, Don't Punish Them - Susan Cain, The Atlantic
Why Introverts Shouldn't Be Forced to Talk in Class - Katherine Schultz, Washington Post
A Parent Guide to Dealing with Digital Behavior Issues - Edward Chen, Edutopia
How Parents Who Play Favorites Hurt the Entire Family - Olivia B. Waxman, Time
Don't Be Bossy When Playing with Your Kids - Richard Rende, PhD, RedHotParenting
Is 'Parent Involvement' in Schools Really Useful? - Alfie Kohn, SmartBlog on Education
17 Parenting Lessons from Downton Abbey - Lisa Endlich, Huffington Post
Learning
Is the Internet Good or Bad for Your Brain? - Alvaro Fernandez, Wired
Helping a Worrier Become a Warrior - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times
Anxious About Tests? Tips to Ease Angst - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/Shift
Feeling Anxious? Think Again - Wray Herbert, Huffington Post
Children Must Learn More Words, Studies Say - Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week
Education
Obama Urges Big Preschool Expansion in SOTU - Alyson Klein, Politics K-12
We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations - Diane Ravitch, Bill Moyers' Group Think
The Push to Gauge Bang for Buck From College - Ruth Simon and Michael Corkery, WSJ
Michael Gove Trashes Elitist 'Downtown Abbey' Ed Attitudes - R A Johnston, Education News
Knowledge Matters, Students Can't Google Everything - Daniel Willingham, Washington Post
A Real Paradigm Shift in Education - Marion Brady, Washington Post
Do Young Kids Need to Learn a Lot of Facts? - E. Miller and N. Carlsson-Paige, Washington Post
Common Core v False Promise of Leveled Literacy - Kathleen Porter-Magee, Fordham Institute
Resources
10 Best Toys from Toy Fair 2013 - Corinne Iozzio and Amber Williams, PopSci
Q&A with Pamela Druckerman on Her New French Parenting Book - KJ Dell'Antonia, NYT
'College Scoreboard' Launches for Parents and Students - Arne Duncan, Dept of Education
3 Vocabulary Apps for SAT Takers and Lifelong Learners - Katie Lepi, edudemic
Delorme and the World's Largest Scale Replica of Earth - Sarah Pinault, GeekMom
Comments