This week E3, congressional actions, graduations, and Game of Thrones figured in the learning and education news for parents. ● Announcements from E3 about the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft provided a timely backdrop for recent Duke University research finding that video-gamers really do see more. We also heard that Minecraft, the popular PC game for kids, will be available on Xbox One. ● A report on parent attitudes toward media went counter to expectations. ● In education, the NYT’s article, “Who’s Minding the Schools,” initiated much chatter. ● Conservatives and progressives made pleas and declarations on education reform. ● Congress has finally introduced bills to reauthorize NCLB, now six years overdue. ● Who would think ability grouping would be making a comeback, but it is. ● PCM Influencers Bill Gates, Linda Darling-Hammond, and Diane Ravitch feature in the news this week. ● The article on parenting lessons from Game of Thrones is hilarious.
Parenting
Most Parents Show Little Worry About Media Use, Survey Says - Matt Richtel, New York Times
Reward, Educate, Occupy: Using Technology as a Parenting Tool -Alexis Lauricella, Mind/Shift
Study: "Tiger" Parenting May Hurt, Not Help - Gwen Dewar, PhD, BabyCenter
10 Things Day Camps Wish Parents Knew - Bernadette Noll, Motherlode
Only 5% of People Wash Their Hands Correctly - Rose Pastore, POPSCI
5 Key Parenting Lessons from 'Game of Thrones' - Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Motherlode
Learning
Moral Puzzles That Tots Struggle With - Alison Gopnik, Wall Street Journal
8 New Ways of Looking at Intelligence - Annie Murphy Paul, Time
Video Gamers Capture More Information Faster for Visual Decision-Making - ScienceDaily
Apes, Toddlers Show Language May Have Evolved From Gestures - Karen Kaplan, LA Times
20-Minutes of Yoga Stimulates Brain Function Immediately After - ScienceDaily
Opinion: No Learning Without Feeling - Claire Needell Hollander, New York Times
Education
Who's Minding the Schools? - Andrew Hacker, Claudia Dreifus, New York Times
Common Core Misconceptions - Betsy Corcoran, edSurge
Repairing the Conservative School-Reform Coalition - Chester Finn, Michael Petrilli, Flypaper
A Progressive 'Education Declaration' for Genuine School Reform -Valerie Strauss, Wash Post
Grouping Students by Ability Regains Favor in Classroom - Vivian Yee, New York Times
Ability Grouping is Back in Fashion. Is This Good for Kids? - Dana Goldstein, Slate
Gates Foundation Looking to Make Nice with Teachers - Linda Shaw, Seattle Times
Reauthorizing NCLB: It's Baaaack -Fawn Johnson, National Journal
Nations High School Graduation Rate Nears Milestone - C. Swanson, S. Lloyd, Ed Week
A Rise in College Degrees Among Americans - Catherine Rampell, New York Times
Should Everyone Go to College? - Mike LaBossiere, Creativity Post
Resources
Here's What We Learned About the Xbox One at E3 - Colin Lecher, POPSCI
Mission: Explore Sends Kids on Adventures - Laura Grace Weldon, GeekMom
Scrabble Meets the Periodic Table in Elemensus - Sophie Brown, GeekMom
A Steady Stream of Online Video for Kids - Larry Magid, SafeKids
Growing Up Online: Free eBook for Parents - Common Sense Media
Resources to Prevent Summer Slide - Matt Davis, edutopia
