For months the debate over the common core has been heating up. But, this week, it might have crossed over into a bona fide mid-term election issue. Wait. As soon as I typed that I realized I fell for this before. During elections, the most attention education ever gets are sound bites. Ok, let's just say the common core gets more and more “political.” ● Also noteworthy in education policy this week is the topic of teacher evaluations using VAM. Stay informed. ● The must-read article is “The Confidence Gap.” Read it to get more finesse in nudging both your sons and daughters towards greater self-assurance. ● Check out the top 10 garden-friendly bugs. Bugs fascinate kids. Wouldn’t it feel good to know a ground beetle from a soldier beetle?
Parenting
The Confidence Gap - Katty Kay & Claire Shipman, The Atlantic
For Parents, Happiness is a Very High Bar [Video] - Jennifer Senior, TED Talk
Idea of New Attention Disorder Spurs Research and Debate - Alan Schwarz, New York Times
What Types of E-Books Are Best for Young Readers - Mind/Shift
Is It Good For Kids to Have a Pet? - Jason G. Goldman, Scientific American
Stuck on a College Wait List? Here's What to Do - Jay Mathews, Washington Post
Learning
What do SAT and IQ Tests Measure? - David Hambrick & Christopher Chabris, Slate
Learning by Thinking - Di Stefano, Gino, Pisano, Staats, Working Knowledge
Why "Parental Involvement" is Not a "Broken Compass" - Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Psychology Today
Why You Forget: 5 Strange Facts About Memory - Bahar Gholipour, Live Science
What Do Preschoolers Learn From Fantastical Picture Books? - R. Schwarzlose, Garden of the Mind
Creativity and the Brain: Learning from Jazz Musicians - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift
Education
Revised SAT Won't Include Obscure Vocabulary Words - Tamar Lewin, New York Times
Statisticians Slam VAM Teacher Evaluation Method - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post
Actually, Statisticians Are Cautiously Optimistic About VAM - P.A. Bruno, This Week in Education
Pay-for-Performance for CEOs and Teachers -Larry Cuban, School Reform & Classroom Practice
Confessions of a Teacher Hater - Conor P. Williams, Talking Points Memo
When the Circus Descends - David Brooks, New York Times
Elizabeth Warren, Howard Dean and the Progressive Case for Ed Reform - Jacob Waters, StudentsFirst
Republicans See Political Wedge in Common Core - Jonathan Martin, New York Times
Gifted Ed. Is Crucial, But the Label Isn't - Peters, Kaufman, Matthews, McBee, McCoach, Education Week
Resources
Preview of the New SAT Exam Questions - Nick Anderson, Washington Post
Inventive Games that Teach Kids Empathy and Social Skills - Tanner Higgin, Mind/Shift
To 10 Best Insects for the Garden - Organic Gardening
The Little Golden Book of Words - Maria Popovo, Brain Pickings
Google Tips for Online Research: Infographic - HackCollege, eLearning Infographics
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!