Parent Cortical Mass

PCM's Top Articles of the Week

This week the NYT published an article on the marketing of A.D.H.D drugs, which includes a section called "selling to parents." Worth the read. ● Anthropologists see ‘ritualized gift exchange’ in many cultures. That means all the Christmas shopping you stress over is really an ancient tribal impulse that sustains your social networks. (Makes me feel better.) ● The big learning research reported this week comes from MIT neuroscientists who show that increases in test scores do not produce similar increases in abstract reasoning. ● In education, hear from PCM's Top Influencers Michelle Rhee and Diane Ravitch, and get more informed on the common core, the global achievement gap, and accountability. ● For some laughs, read the article from a parent dumbfounded by school jargon, and the post with 39 incorrect answers. The second made me LOL.

Parenting

The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder - Alan Schwarz, New York Times

Christmas and the Anthropology of Ritualized Gift Exchange - Alice Robb, New Republic

Parents are Buying Their Kids the Wrong Toys - Jenn Choi, Quartz

School Jargon for Parents: What Is My Kid's Teacher Saying? - Dahlia Lithwick, Slate

The Simple Phrase that Increases Effort 40% -Daniel Coyle, The Talent Code

New Study: Training to Be a Good Parent - Rick Nauert, PhD, PsycCentral

Learning

Even When Test Scores Go Up, Some Cognitive Abilities Don't - ScienceDaily

Can You Learn While You Sleep? - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/shift

Why Learners Need Downtime - Hallie Smith, Science of Learning Blog

How Stories Change the Brain - Paul Zak, Greater Good

Pop Quiz: What's the Earliest Age Kids Think Abstractly? - Daniel Willingham, Sci & Edu Blog

Why Does This Baby Cry When Her Mother Sings? - Siu-Lan Tan, PhD, Psychology Today

Kids Are Ready for Math Earlier Than We Think - Lindsey Layton, Washington Post

Education

How Bored Are Kids in School? Look at Twitter - Amanda Ripley, New Republic

How America is Failing Its Kids - Michelle Rhee, Politico

Who Decides What is Taught in Our Schools? - Anthony Cody, Education Week

5 Myths About the Common Core - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

A Classroom Where No One Cheats - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic

Best-Educated Generation in US History Isn't Educated Enough - Derek Thompson, Atlantic

Even Gifted Students Can't Keep Up - Editorial Board, New York Times

What's Missing In the NYT Editorial on Gifted Students - Diane Ravitch, D Ravitch's Blog

US Schools' Approach to Student Data Threatens Privacy - Molly Hensley-Clancy, Reuters

Teachers Salaries and Household Income, by State - Paul Bruno, Paul Bruno's Blog

Resources

Apple Names Top Kids Apps of 2013 - Wendy Goldman Getzler, iKids

10 Most Popular Educational YouTube Videos of 2013 - Katrina Schwarrtz, Mind/Shift

38 of the Best Educational Games for iPad - TeachThought

How Does Your School Compare to the World's Best - Connie Matthiessen, Great Schools

39 Test Answers That are 100% Wrong But Totally Genius, Too - Jake Heppner, Distractify

Making Holiday Family Travel a Bit of Geeky Fun - Ken Denmead, GeekMom

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

Questions discussed this week pertinent to parents include: "Does math have to be boring?" "Will you set up safety contracts with your teens and kids on their tech presents?" and the scorcher, "If you opt your kids out of accountability tests, can Child Protective Services really be called on you?" ● Last week researchers thought that music mattered in building cognitive skills. This week, not so much. ● Articles selected this week will keep you current on our Top Education Policies of charter schools, pre-K, the common core, and global achievement gaps. ● Need a holiday dinner topic? Check out Time’s 100 Most Significant Figures in History and argue over the rankings. Or, even better, wow family and friends with astronomical info, like why the earliest sunrise isn’t on the solstice. Surely you can finesse the conversation over to that topic.

Parenting

One Sibling Works for B's; One Gets Easy A's - Jessica Lahey, New York Times

See Grown-Ups Read: Adults Are Reading YA Books - Alexandra Alter, Wall Street Journal

How to Reduce Stress In Kids and Teens During Holidays - Dr. Michelle Borba, micheleborba.com

Giving Teens & Kids Tech Gifts? Don't Forget Safety Contracts - Sue Scheff, Sue Scheff Blog

Parents, Education, and Acculturation with Intention -Jordan Shapiro, Forbes

Working Parents, High-Powered Jobs, Career Sacrifices - Liza Mundy, Time

'The Hunger Games' Is a Civics Lesson - Robert Pondiscio, Wall Street Journal

Learning

What Kids Learn From Hearing Family Stories - Elaine Reese, The Atlantic

Even When Test Scores Go Up, Some Cognitive Abilities Don't - ScienceDaily

Can Your Brain Really Be Retrained - Anya Kamenetz, Fast Company

Why It's Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

How A Simple Checklist Can Improve Learning - TeachThought

Muting the Mozart Effect - Peter Reuell, Harvard Gazette

Spanking Children Slows Cognitive Development - ScienceDaily

Education

How Preschool Impacts Student Scores, In One Graph - Rebecca Klein, Huff Post

Who Says Math Has to Be Boring? - Editorial Board, New York times

What the NYT Doesn't Know About Math Instruction - Daniel Willingham, Sci & Education Blog

Smart Students Don't Boost Other Classmates Grades - Andy Henion, Futurity

Is Opting Out of State Assessments the Right Answer? - Peter DeWitt, Education Week

Sorry, Michelle Rhee, But Our Testing Obsession is All About Money - Jeff Bryant, Salon

Why Do More Women Than Men Earn College Degrees? - Anne Fisher, CNN Money

A Guide to the Common Core State Standards - Center for American Progress

Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools - Jeffrey Aaron Snyder, Boston Review

Charter Schools Continue Dramatic Growth Despite Controversies - Joy Resmovits, Huff Post

Grit Hypothesis Doesn't Help Poor Kids - Peter Meyer, Education Next

The Most Notable Education Stories of 2013 - Alexander Russo, The Atlantic

Resources

Hour of Code Options for Students - Jennifer Scheffer, Smore

Rube Goldberg App Is an Elegantly Complex Invention! - Todd Bernhard, iPhoneLife

Build It Yourself - BuildItYourself.com

13 Best Children's Illustrated Books of 2013 - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

New Picture Books for the Christmas Season - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

Notable Children’s Books of 2013 - NYT Sunday Book Review

The Earliest Sunset Isn't on the Solstice, & Other Astronomical Hijinks - P. Di Justo, Atlantic

Time's 100 Most Significant Figures in History -Skiena & Ward, Time

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

The results of the most recent PISA test, a global achievement test of 15 year olds worldwide, released this week to spin and ballyhoo. Do you think U.S. students’ scores this time were (A) better, (B) worse, (C) the same, or (D) pathetic? Do you think these global rankings (A) matter, (B) don't matter, (C) matter somewhat, or (D) are rigged by China? I won’t tell you my answers because below you will find news and op-eds that make a case for each of these answers. These articles include the thoughts of pundits, journalists, think-tankers, and PCM's Education Influencers like Sec Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, Diane Ravitch, and Randi Weingarten. ● Also this week read articles that get at the soul of common core controversies and opting out of accountability tests. ● Get informed about the latest research on video games—good to know as you shop for Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, check out the entertaining Evil Mad Scientist Shop.

Parenting

Is Giftedness Real? [Podcast] - Dana Goldstein, Slate

The Art of Kindness: Teaching Kids to Care - Marilyn Price-Mitchell PhD, Roots of Action

Could a Video Game Replace ADD Medication? - Anya Kamenetz, Hechinger Report

Psychologists Prove That Video Games Are Good For You - Justin Reich, Education Week

Why Gamers Can't Stop Playing First-Person Shooters - Maria Konnikova, The New Yorker

New Research on Dads: How Important Are They? - ScienceDaily

This is Why Kids Need to Learn to Code - Doug Belshaw, dmlcentral

Learning

Do Messy Kids Learn Better? - Rick Nauert PhD, PsychCentral

Music Lessons Boost Emotional, Intellectual Development - Tom Jacobs, Pacific Standard

To Strengthen Your Attention Span, Stop Overtaxing It - Daniel Goleman, Harvard Blog Network

9 Ways to Become Smarter Than You Think - Jonathan Wai, Psychology Today

A List of Reasons Why Our Brains Love Lists - Maria Konnikova, The New Yorker

Why Openness to Experience is the Key to Creativity - Drake Baer, FastCompany

Spatial Thinking Skills vs Standardized Tests - Jonathan Wai, Quartz

Education

U.S. 15-Yr Olds Lag, Mainly in Math, On Latest International Test - Motoko Rich, NYT

Diane Ravitch: 4 Lessons on New PISA Scores - Diane Ravitch, Washington Post

Michelle Rhee: More Mediocrity for American Education - Michelle Rhee, Time

Randi Weingarten Offers Ways to Boost US PISA Results - David Cook, Christian Science Monitor

7 Reasons I Don't Care About PISA Results - Rick Hess, Education Week

How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the PISA - Mary Jo Madda, edSurge

Want to Look Great on PISA Tests? Test Only Top Students - Dexter Roberts, BusinessWeek

The US is Terrible at International Tests: Who Cares? - Jordan Weissmann, The Atlantic

The Movement Against Testing in Schools - Robert Kolker, New York Magazine

American Businesses Need the Common Core - Allan Golston, Impatient Optimists

Why So Many Parents Hate the Common Core - Diane Ravitch, New Pittsburg Courier

Resources

Evil Mad Scientist Shop - evilmadscientist.com

Kids' Book: Does My Goldfish Know Who I Am? - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

7 Outstanding Science-Based Websites - Learning Never Stops

Best Board Games You Can Play in Under an Hour - Philip Stephenson, Quartz

5 Fun Ways to Bring Santa to Life for Your Kids - Erin Lane, BabyCenter

A Visual Guide to the Languages of the World - Katie Lepi, Edudemic

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!