Have you been hearing about “grit” and “character education”? Watch the TED talk by Angela Duckworth, the U Penn researcher whose work launched the grit offensive, and see what you think. ● Wonder why so many tech leaders say kids need to learn to code? Mitch Resnick’s simple stories will help you understand. Then, check out the list of 40 Tools that get kids coding. ● For weeks we’ve covered parental apprehension over the use of kids’ education data. This weeks’ article will make you an expert on the topic. ● Two articles about teachers from Finland and Teach for America shed light on dissimilar approaches to teacher effectiveness. ● Unlikely political alliances are forming around doubts over the common core. After rapid acceptance by many states, a growing sentiment says, “Wait a minute!” ● This week a video showing a high school student expressing frustration at his teacher went viral.
Parenting
Why Reading Aloud to Older Children Is Valuable - Holly Korbey, Mind/Shift
"Tiger Mom” Study Shows the Parenting Method Doesn’t Work - Paul Tullis, Slate
Are We Over-Stimulating Young Children? - Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Roots of Action
Summer Babies at a Disadvantage? Not Obama, Clinton or Napoleon - Amelia Hill, The Guardian
What Parents Should Worry About This Week (Or Not) - Polly Palumbo, Momma Data
Advice for Parents About Summertime Tech - Larry Magid, SafeKids.com
Elmo Fever: Why Are Kids are So Obsessed with the Red Muppet? - Melinda W. Moyer, Slate
Learning
The Key to Success? Grit [Ted Talk] - Angela Lee Duckworth, TED
The 21St Century Skill Students Most Lack - Daniel Willingham, Washington Post
Learn To Code, Code To Learn - Mitchel Resnick, EdSurge News
How to Perform in a Clutch - Annie Murphy Paul, TIME.com
What's the Best Way to Teach Languages? - Martin Williams, The Guardian
Your Brain Catches Grammar Errors Even When You Don't Realize It - Clay Dillow, PopSci
Education
The Benefits of Character Education - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic
Hispanic HS Grads Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment - Fry & Taylor, Pew Center
What is “Student Data?” Who Owns it? Why does it Matter? - Cameron Evans, Microsoft in Ed
New Report Challenges Beliefs About the Value of AP Classes - Leslie Harris O’Hanlon, Mind/Shift
Education Debate by Issue [Charts] - Education Week
What if Finland's Great Teachers Taught in U.S. Schools? - Pasi Sahlberg, Washington Post
Still Teaching for America - June Kronholz, Education Next
Republicans Should Love 'Common Core' - Frenkel and Wu, Wall Street Journal
Union Joins Opposition to Common Core Standards & Tests - Brittany Corona, Heritage
Resources
Teaching Kids to Code, 40 Tools to Learn to Code - EdSurge
Seven Books British Kids Love (and American Kids Will Too) - Sophie Brown, GeekMom
Summer Book List for Beginning Readers - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup
Video of Texas Student Scolding His Teacher Goes Viral - CBS News
Parents' Choice Awards: Toys, Spring 2013 - Parents' Choice