Parent Cortical Mass

PCM's Top Article of the Week

Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, admits to “not saying things perfectly.” This week he said some tactless things, all the while keeping intact his clean-cut, Stepford-guy face. What did he say? He leaked his analysis of why white suburban moms oppose the common core tests. This mishap launched a thousand articles, but the two selected here will give you both context and attitude. ● Critics of the common core say the standards are wholly inappropriate for early grades. Just read the article by level-headed Dr. Daniel Willingham and get smarter about the meaning of developmentally appropriate. ● There are articles about parents opting out of standardized tests, innovations on accountability grades for schools, and a throw down over effective teachers vs. small classes. ● The video that went viral this week was a commercial for the girl engineering toy, GoldieBlox. Two articles introduce the video from two vantage points.

Parenting

An Entire Generation of Humans Is Developing 'App Consciousness' - Jordan Shapiro, Forbes

Are Educational iPad Games Really Educational? - Tia Ghose, LiveScience

Here's Where Teens Are Going Instead of Facebook - Parmy Olson, Forbes

8 Tips for Dads to Grow Strong Relationships with Daughters - B. Malone, Good Men Project

Relearning the Lost Skill of Patience - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic

The 4 Types of Sibling Relationships - Richard Rende, PhD, Red Hot Parenting

Schooled: How to Choose a School [Podcast] - Dana Goldstein, Slate

Parents: Are We Sabotaging Our Kids' Math Ability? - C.J. Westerberg, The Daily Riff

Learning

What is Developmentally Appropriate in Learning? - Daniel Willingham, Washington Post

Scientists Define Brain Network Behind Attention, Daydreaming - Geoffrey Mohan, L.A. Times

Economic Stress Linked to Poor Brain Development in Kids - Susan Scutti, Medical Daily

Is Attention the Secret to Emotional Intelligence? - Daniel Goleman w Jason Marsh, Greater Good

Frequent Tests Enhance College Learning, Study Finds - Benedict Carey, New York Times

Education

Arne Duncan's'White Moms' Remark Fuels Common Core Clash - Stephanie Simon, Politico

White Suburban Moms Aren't the Problem-Arne Duncan Might Be - D. Harsanyi, Federalist

When Parents Yank Their Kids Out of Standardized Tests - Alexander Russo, The Atlantic

A Testing Moratorium is Necessary - Joshua P. Starr, Education Next

Assessments Are Vital for Healthy Schools - Margaret Spellings, Education Next

States are Starting to Test Teachers - The Economist

Is It Better to Have a Great Teacher or a Small Class? - Emily Richmond, The Atlantic

Preschool Access Won't End US Literacy Problem, Experts Say - Allie Bidwell, US News

Better Ways to Grade Public Schools - Jack Schneider, L.A. Times

Programming Power? Does Learning to Code Empower Kids? - Ben Williamson, dmlcentral

Resources

Beyond Minecraft: Games that Inspire Building and Exploration - Tanner Higgin, Mind/Shift

Apps for Winter Reading - Monica Burns, edutopia

5 Reasons Parents Should Pick Wii U Instead of PS4 or Xbox One - Jordan Shapiro, Forbes

I'd Do All I could to Get These 3 Little Girls Full Rides to Stanford - Adam Mordecai, UpWorthy

This Toy Probably Isn't the Answer to Women-In-Science Disparity - Olga Khazan, The Atlantic

Read a few articles each week, and gain parent cortical mass! If you enjoy our weekly article roundup, please email it to a friend or share on social media. Thank you!

PCM's Top Articles of the Week

Parents, here’s a question: What is NAEP? If you said, “the nation’s report card," that counts as a correct answer even though the initials don't match "National Assessment of Educational Progress." Results for the 2013 assessment came out this past week and remarkably they support both poles of education reform. So, everyone can keep arguing. ● If you’ve noticed that education reform arguments seem as negative as congressional politics, Stephanie Simon’s article about “nasty rhetoric” will help you grasp who said what about whom. ● PCM's Top 10 Influencer Bill Gates figures prominently this week. Besides reading his plan to improve the world, check out his “favorite course of all time,” which he has put online for free. ● If you are unfamiliar with ‘stereotype threat,’ read Daniel Willingham’s article and get familiar with this phenomenon. ● Xkcd’s template with answers to common questions about new technology is hilariously helpful.

Parenting

How to Get the Most Out of a Parent-Teacher Conference - Holly Korbey, Mind/Shift

5 Reasons Why It's a Great Time to Be a Dad - Jeremy Adam Smith, Fathers, Work and Family

Giving Good Praise to Girls: What Messages Stick - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

Why the PSAT is the Most Important Test for a High School Jr. - Pam Mashburn, AL.com

Good Parenting Skills: 7 Research-Backed Highlights - Eric Barker, Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Facebook Takes on Cyberbullies As More Teens Leave Site - Emily Siner, NPR

Learning

We All Start Out as Scientists, But Some of Us Forget - Viskontas & Mooney, Mother Jones

The Need for Pretend Play in Child Development - Scott Barry Kaufman, Scientific American

What's Behind Stereotype Threat? - Daniel Willingham, Science and Education Blog

Piano Lessons: Can You Force Kids to Develop Interests? - Annie Murphy Paul, Time

Prenatal Exercise May Give Newborns a Boost on Brain Development - Sarah Sparks, Ed Week

No Such Thing as 'Right-Brained' or 'Left-Brained' - American Psychological Association

Education

NAEP Scores Spark Debate on Teacher Accountability Changes - Liana Heitin, Education Week

When Policymakers Don't Understand Basic Statistics - Aaron Pallas, Hechinger Report

Nasty Name-Calling in Ed Reform - Stephanie Simon, Politico

Education Reform Gets Mixed Results in Election - Rick Hess, National Review

Taiwan's Parent Unions: Be Careful What You Wish For - Chester Finn, Education Next

Have You Heard About the 'Hour of Code' Initiative Dec 9-15? - Ali & Hadi Partovi, VentureBeat

Making the Next Generation of Educational Video Games - Sarah Butrymowicz, Time

My Plan to Improve Our World, And How You Can Help - Bill Gates, Wired

Gates Foundation Places Big Bet on Teacher Agenda - Stephen Sawchuck, Ed Week

Stereotypes About Math That Hold Americans Back - Jo Boaler, The Atlantic

Trim Recess? Some Schools Hold On to Child's Play - Eric Westervelt, NPR

Resources

Comet ISON, Visible in Binoculars, Now With a Double Tail - Deborah Netburn, L.A. Times

Bill Gates Wants You to Take His 'Favorite Course of All Time" for Free - B.Frank, GeekWire

8 Apps to Make You a Better Reader - Max Knoblauch, Mashable

Interview with Daniel Goleman on His New Book, Focus - Emma Haslett, Management Today

Best Podcasts for Parenting Advice - Peter Naughton, The Telegraph

Simple Answers to Questions That Get Asked About Every New Technology - xkcd

Read a few articles each week, and gain parent cortical mass! If you enjoy our weekly article roundup, please email it to a friend or share on social media. Thank you!

PCM's Top Articles of the Week

This week marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, and, depend on it, there’s an app for that! ● Even though Mayor Bloomberg was not on the ballot in this week's elections, his brand of education reforms came before citizens throughout the nation in state initiatives and local school board races. Joy Resmovits reports on how his style of free market policies fared. ● PCM Influencer Randi Weingarten writes in support of the common core standards, countering the hits they are taking lately. ● Rarely do we have articles by Influencer Clayton Christensen, but his op-ed in the New York Times this week is significant. He makes bold predictions about online education. ● With daylight savings time ending last weekend, don’t miss the delightful article on reasons to play outside in the dark.

Parenting

I Learned All I Need to Know on Marriage from Pride & Prejudice - K.S. Prior, Atlantic

If Your Kid Was Bullied, When Did You Intervene & When Not? - Michael Winerip, NYT

Keeping Teens 'Private' on Facebook Won't Protect Them - Danah Boyd, Time

Anne-Marie Slaughter, Care, and Men - Ashely Milne-Tyte, Broad Experience

Does Putting Your Child Before Yourself Make You Happier? - Janice Wood, PsychCentral

Why Thinking You Did Great After the SAT is a Sign You Bombed - Debbie Stier, Time

How to Fall in Love with STEM - Connie Matthiessen, GreatSchools

Kids Who Sleep More, May Eat Less - ScienceDaily

Learning

How the Power of Interest Drives Learning - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/Shift

How Does Electronic Reading Affect Comprehension? - John Jones, DML Central

Assessing Informal Learning Environments - Vera Michalchik, Interviewed by DML Central

Attention in First Grade Critical to Academic Success - Traci Pedersen, PsychCentral

Why Deliberate Practice is the Only Way to Keep Getting Better - Drake Baer, Fast Company

Education

Results of the Election for Education. Did Bloomberg Reforms Win or Not? - Joy Resmovits, HP

9th Grade: Most Important Year in High School - Michele Willens, The Atlantic

Schooled: Smartest Kids in the World [Podcast] - Dana Goldstein, Amanda Ripley, Slate

The Way Forward on Education - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, HP

Online Education an Agent of Transformation - Clayton Christensen, Michael. Horn, NYTimes

Will States Fail the Common Core? - Randi Weingarten, Huff Post

Feds Declare Hunger Games More Complex than Grapes of Wrath - B. Greteman, New Republic

Could Coding Be the New Foreign Language Requirement? - A. Adam, H. Mowers, edutopia

The Charter-School Lie: Market Based Ed Gambles With Our Children - Jeff Bryant, Salon

The Role of the K-12 Parent - Education Week

Resources

Stride and Prejudice App: A Jane Austen Endless Runner - Amy Kraft, GeekMom

Kids' Thanksgivng Books for Gratitude, History, Humor - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

12 Reasons to Play Outside After Dark - Laura Grace Weldon, GeekMom

A Little Bit of Electronic Literacy - Ayah Bdeir, Scientific American

Best Streaming Video on Daniel Boone, Annie Oakley, Other Folk Heros - M. Petrilli, Fordham

What is the Best YA Novel of All Times? - Entertainment Weekly

Read a few articles each week, and gain parent cortical mass! If you enjoy our weekly article roundup, please email it to a friend or share on social media. Thank you!