This week NY school officials released, for the first time, test scores tied to the new, more rigorous, common core standards. Parents were warned for months to expect a drop in their kids’ scores because the new tests were much harder. In 2012, 55% of students reached proficiency. With the harder tests, it’s just 31%. In the next couple years expect this scenario to repeat throughout the country. ● Some parents worry that common core standards for the early grades are not developmentally appropriate. To better understand the science, read Daniel Willingham’s article. Additional buzzing topics covered include: declining birthrates and the economy; predicting which first graders will likely be dropouts; scrutinizing A-F accountability systems; and, Minecraft, Minecraft, Minecraft. ● Watch the 8 minute video, then look upward and share the wonders of the August night sky. And...go ahead, click on the Mars Explorer Barbie. Don’t you want to see her gear?
Parenting
The Dread of August: The Kids' Teacher Assignments - Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal
Parents Need to Do Their Homework - Leanne Jansen, iol
How I Convinced My 8 Year Old to Choose Books Instead of Minecraft - Jordan Shapiro, Forbes
Advocacy Groups Files Complaint with FCC: Apps Don't Make Babies Smarter - The Telegraph
Snooping on Your Kids: What I Learned About My Daughter - Mathew Ingram, GigaOM
For Stronger Families, Focus on Childcare, Not Birthrates - Elizabeth Gregory, The Atlantic
Declining Birthrates Doesn't Spell Disaster - Phillip N. Cohen, Time
Meaning Is Healthier Than Happiness - Emily Esfahani Smith, The Atlantic
Learning
Why the Brain Benefits From Reflection In Learning - Judy Willis, TeachThought
What is "Developmentally Appropriate?" - Daniel Willingham, Science & Education Blog
The Myth of Learning Styles - Christopher Pappas, eLearning Industry
What is Grit? - Jackson Allison, Big Think
We Can Predict Which 1st Graders Will Be Dropouts? Risky - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/Shift
Video Games May Treat Dyslexia - Michele Solis, Scientific American
Researchers See Video Games as Testing, Learning Tools - Benjamin Herold, Ed Week
What Minecraft Can Teach Kids - Margaret Rock, Mobiledia
Education
Is It Time for Civics to Make a Comeback? - Holly Korbey, Mind/Shift
What the New SAT and Digital ACT Might Look Like - Tamar Lewin, New York Times
5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About the Common Core - M. McShane, The American
New York's Common Core Test Scores - Editorial Board, New York Times
A-to-F Systems for Grading Public Schools Get New Scrutiny - Lyndsey Layton, Wash Post
How Technology Will Revolutionize Testing and Learning - Arne Duncan, Scientific American
The $4 Million Teacher: Should the US Follow S. Korea's Ed System? - Amanda Ripley, WSJ
Cut Back Summer Vacation, And How to Pay for It - Matthew Chingos, Brookings
Resources
If You're Not Looking Up to the Sky This Month, You're Missing Out (Video) - Editors, Big Think
Math Videos Overtake Cute Pets in YouTube Popularity - Education Next
Mars Explorer Barbie; Mattel, NASA Team Up - Robert Pearlman, Huff Post
How to Be a Super Minecraft Mom - Jean Fujikawa, GeekMom
Boggle vs. Scrabble - Julia Turner, Slate
15 Fun Educational Apps - Jen Betterley, ParentMap
