So many good articles this week! ● I was gob-smacked by Eleanor Barkhorn's article, “What Americans Don’t Know about Science.” (Stay calm, we have plenty company.) ● Another must-read comes from Scott Barry Kaufman. He furnishes intriguing facts about prodigies’ working memory, IQ, and attention to detail. ● Do you have a kid in high school, or approaching? Laurence Steinberg's article offers important info on America’s high schools, even with its barmy title. ● Have you wondered if brain training is real science, or a boondoggle? Read Dan Hurley review of the research on Cogmed and get more informed. ● Are parents at your kids’ schools preoccupied with the politics of common core? It’s a hot topic, hot like inflammatory. Education influencer Bill Gates penned a widely read article in favor of the policy. To understand the tumult in the interplay of common core, accountability tests, teacher evaluation, and NCLB, just read Lyndsey Layton’s smart summary. ● And do not miss Ken Burns’ awesome app, launched this week!
Parenting
High Impact Parenting (HIP): A New Marriage-Saving Model - Richard V. Reeves, The Atlantic
What's It Really Like to Be a Parent? Please, Don't Tell Me - Ruth Graham, Slate
New Research: Why Infants and Toddlers Are So Exhausting - Conor P. Williams, EdCentral
Secrets of Networked Teens: Q&A with danah boyd - Anya Kamenetz, Hechinger Report
A New History of Lamaze Explains Origins of the Mythology -Jessica Grose, New Republic
What Americans Don't Know About Science. -Eleanor Barkhorn, The Atlantic
Learning
The Mind of the Prodigy -Scott Barry Kaufman, Scientific American
More Talking, Longer Sentences, Help Babies' Brains - Lauran Neergaard, AP, Yahoo News
How Free Play Can Define Kids' Success - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift
Conversation on Daydreaming, with Jerome Singer - Scott Barry Kaufman, Creativity Post
The Power of Empathy [3 min animation] - Brene Brown, RSA Short, YouTube
The Science Behind 'Brain Training' - Dan Hurley, The Atlantic
Beware Neuro-Bunk [11 min video] - Molly Crockett, TED
Education
High School in America: A Complete Disaster - Laurence Steinberg, Slate
Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need It Most - Jessica Lahey, New York Times
6 Key Findings About Going to College - Andrea Caumont, Pew Research
By Sept Coding Will Be Mandatory In British Schools. WTH America? - Carmel Deamicis, Pando
Opinion: Learn to Code? No: Learn a Real Language - Frank Catalano, edSurge
Common Core: This is the Best Way to Fix School for Our Kids - Bill Gates, USA Today
A Fight Brewing Over Tests in the Common Core Age - Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post
Is NCLB Best Measure of Student Growth & Teacher Effectiveness? - J. Palmisano, LawStreet
Judge Dismisses NY Parents' Lawsuit Against inBloom - Benjamin Herold, Education Week
Resources
Ken Burn's New iPad App Turns US History Into Beautiful Mixtapes - Devon Maloney, Wired
Civics Goes Digital: Online Game Effective at Teaching Civics - ScienceDaily
5 US History Apps 'Revolutionizing' Education - Brad Spirrison, Appo Learning
4 Safety Tips for Educational App Use with Kids - Balefire Labs
Kicking Off the 2014 Google Science Fair -Clare Conway, Google Blog
Netflix Adds More First Run Content from Disney -Todd Longwell, Kidscreen
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!