Parent Cortical Mass

Week's Best Articles on Learning and Education, for Parents

Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and top scientist on human/technology interaction, published her ninth book this week. Her persistent question: Does our preference for digital technology deteriorate human capacities for conversation and empathy? Really, who has time for this, you say to yourself. Still, this is the first generation of parents to have to think this through. Below are four smart articles with different points of view. 1 2 3 4 At the same time this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidance for parents who raise kids in “a world where ‘screen time’ is becoming simply ‘time.’” What does the science say? 5 Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, announced his resignation, effective in December. He’s been number one on PCM’s list of Top Education Policy Influencers. What does this mean for public education? Who’s next? 6 7 Do you want just the stats about the number of school shootings since Sandy Hook? Here’s an infographic from ProCon.org. Only facts. 8

Parenting

The American Workplace Doesn't "Value Care" - Dana Goldstein, Slate

1 Stop Googling. Let’s Talk. - Sherry Turkle, New York Times

2 Sherry Turkle’s ‘Reclaiming Conversation’ - Jonathan Franzen, New York Times

3 Smart Phones Aren't Anti-Social - Claude S. Fischer, Boston Review

4 Motherhood, Screened Off - Susan Dominus, New York Times

5 Pediatricians Work on a New Prescription for Kids' Screen Time - Diana Graber, Huffington Post

Learning

Do Students Remember What They Learn in School? - Daniel Willingham, AFT.org

How TV Can Make Kids Better Readers - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

Understanding Dyslexia and the Reading Brain in Kids - Holly Korbey, Mind/Shift

New Research: Two-Year Old Vocabulary and Kindergarten Success - Aaron Loewenberg, EdCentral

The Effect of Mindset on How Students Handle Feedback - Annie Murphy Paul, The Brilliant Report

Education

Who Are The 'Gifted And Talented' And What Do They Need? - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

The Bright Children Left Behind - Chester Finn & Brandon Wright, Flypaper

Don't Hate Tests. They Play a Key Role in Accountability - Ulrich Boser, US News

The Future of Standardized Testing? - Jonathan Wai, Psychology Today

How To Weave Growth Mindset Into School Culture - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

Does Pre-K Make Any Difference? - David Kirp, New York Times

How the Principal's Job Has Changed - Peg Tyre, Yahoo News

6 Arne Duncan, Education Secretary, To Step Down - Gardiner Harris & Motoko Rich, NYT

7 3 Key Things to Know About John King, the Next Sec. of Education - Libby Nelson, Vox

Resources

8 122 School Shootings Since Sandy Hook (Infographic) - ProCon.org

37 YA Books You Need To Add To Your Reading List - Arianna Rebolini, BuzzFeed

Game-a-Week: 7 Wonders - Randy Slavey, GeekDad

12 Preschool Shows That Aren't Annoying - Polly Conway, Common Sense Media

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!

Week's Best Articles on Learning and Education, for Parents

Yippee, the kids are back in school! After our summer break, Parent Cortical Mass is back, too, and there's so much to cover. Parents, how many clever ways can you ask your kids that all-important question, “How was school today?” Getting kids to talk about what they're learning in school fortifies that learning. 8 In this week’s batch of articles we revisit four of PCM’s Top 10 Learning Concepts: language dancing, the growth mindset, flow, and background knowledge. 1 2 3 4 Four of our Top 10 Education Influencers -- E.D. Hirsch Jr., Arne Duncan, Linda Darling-Hammond and Diane Ravitch --have mentions this week. 4 5 6 7 A Washington state court ruled last week that tax-payer funded charter schools in that state were unconstitutional. Why? Because public schools are subject to the voters in school districts, and charter schools, by definition, bypass required local control. What do you think? 7 It's September. You've just recommitted to reading nightly to the kids. Check out Bonnie Lathram’s list of must-read kids' books for some fresh selections! 9

Parenting

Why We Should Let Our Children Fail - Jessica Lahey, The Guardian

When Did Parents Get So Scared? I Blame It on Bridge to Terabithia - Melissa Schorr, Boston Globe

How Schools Are Handling an 'Overparenting' Crisis - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

When Homework Stresses Parents as Well as Students - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times

Fathers Who Serve as the Primary Parent - Andrew Moravcsik, The Atlantic

Wondering at What Age Children Can Safely Play with a Tablet? - C. Featherston, Hechinger Report

Learning

4 Ways to Remember Everything You Learn - Drake Baer, Time

The Lesson You Never Got Taught in School: How to Learn! - Simon Oxenham, Big Think

1 Pretending to Understand What Babies Say Can Make Them Smarter - Cari Romm, The Atlantic

2 3 Tricks to Find Your Flow - Christine Carter, Medium

3 Growth Mindset: How to Normalize Mistake Making & Struggle in Class - K. Schwartz, Mind/Shift

Education

Teachers Aren’t Dumb - Daniel T. Willingham, New York Times

5 Critical Skills to Empower Students in the Digital Age - Ki Sung, Mind/Shift

4 How Common Core Can Help in the Battle of Skills vs. Knowledge - Natalie Wexler, NYT

5 Arne Duncan: U.S. Needs to Modernize Its Schools - Sec. Duncan & Sec. Perez, eSchool News

6 A New Moment in Education - Linda Darling-Hammond, Huffington Post

7 What Makes a Public School Public? WA Court Finds Charters Unconstitutional. - Emma Brown, WP

New Poll: Heartening and Glum News for Ed Reformers - Chester Finn, Education Next

National Leaders Fail in School Reform - Jack Jennings, Huffington Post

The Problem with Making Education a Campaign Issue - Joy Resmovits, LA Times

Resources

8 25 Other Ways to Ask "How Was School Today?" - Liz Evans, Huffington Post

Parents of College-Bound Students: About the Upcoming SAT Changes - J. Bolkan, THE Journal

What is a Math Circle? - Anna Kuchment, Scientific American

The Best Way to Guess Correctly on a Multiple Choice Test - Justin J. Couchman, Quartz

9 20 Must-Read Children’s Books for Back to School - Bonnie Lathram, Getting Smart

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!

Week's Best Articles on Learning & Education, for Parents

Question: Do we need standardized tests in education? Yes, we do. No, we don't. Do too. Do not. This is not a savvy argument. Get briefed. 3 4 Steven Pinker writes that the Ivy League needs the SAT in their admissions. (Is it me, or is his article teeming with SAT vocabulary words?) 5 Educators say they want parent involvement in schools. But, after an open house, have you muttered, “Parent involvement? More like parent compliance." Yet, if you dare to tread, are you helicoptering? 1 2 Anya Kamenetz’s article on the end of the neighborhood school is a must-read. It tells the story of New Orleans' all-charter school district. Parents need to know about this. 6 Two of our Influencers are in this roundup. Heard about Bill Gates' Big History class? This article makes the point about his influence. 7 Politico named E.D. Hirsch number eight of their 50 top thinkers. 8 Don't miss Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining the science behind locating Krypton, Superman’s home planet. It's *@*WOW! 9

Parenting

1 Back-to-School Message: Stop Helicoptering, Start Teaching Self Control - Ellen Galinsky, HuffPost

2 The Parent Trapped: Parent Involvement Redefined - Cathy Buyrn, The Daily Riff

Playing with Children: How to Make It Fun for You and Them - Peter Gray, Psychology Today

No More Homework: A Growing Movement - Sarah Boesveld, National Post

Keeping Children Back a Year Doesn't Help Them Read Better - Paul Thomas, The Conversation

9 Tips on How to Be a Good College Parent - Amy Joyce, Washington Post

Learning

Why Flunking Exams is Actually a Good Thing - Benedict Carey, New York Times

Why Walking Helps Us Think - Ferris Jabr, The New Yorker

Training the Brain to Love Broccoli - Julie Beck, The Atlantic

'Grit' May Not Spur Creative Success, Scholars Say - Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week

On Mindsets: How to Get Students Motivated to Work Harder - T. Toch & S. Headden, The Atlantic

Teaching Children Empathy - Jessica Lahey, New York Times

Education

3 Here's Why We don't Need Standardized Tests - Greg Jouriles, Education Week

4 In Defense of the SAT - Adrian Wooldridge, New Republic

5 The Ivy League is Broken and Only Standardized Tests Can Fix It - Steven Pinker, New Republic

Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers? - Noah Berlatsky, The Atlantic

The Most Important Figure in School Reform We Never Talk About - Dana Goldstein, Slate

6 The End of Neighborhood Schools - Anya Kamenetz, NPR

Inside the Mammoth Backlash to Common Core - Tim Murphy, Mother Jones

Debunking the Myth: School Summer Vacation Doesn't Have Agrarian Roots. - Weber & De Melker, PBS

7 So Bill Gates Has This Idea for a History Class - Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times

8 For Telling Us What We Don't Know, David Coleman/E.D. Hirsch - Peg Tyre, Politico

Resources

9 Neil deGrasse Tyson on Finding Krypton [6:53 min video] - Khan Academy

How to Grow a Tiny Forest Anywhere [4:22 min video] - Shubhendu Sharma, TED

How to Teach Math with Legos - Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Quiz: Guess Where People Are From Based on Their Accent - Nikhil Sonnad, Quartz

Watch 1000 Years of European Borders Change in 3 Minutes - Viral Forest

The Science of Your Brain on Alcohol [2:14 min video] - Brain Pickings

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!