Habits of mind, habits of thought, habits of language. These three are related in intricate ways, beyond the scope of current neuroscience or linguistics. How is technology altering those habits? Does it matter that as children become habituated to advanced technology earlier and earlier in their lives, they begin to think and develop differently? How does technology change the way we think?
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New IB Data is available, only from Wandering Academic. The IBO doesn’t even calculate these numbers, but they provoke lots of interesting questions. Is it really true that it’s harder to get a 7 in English than in Physics? Have score distributions changed dramatically over time?
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What schedule is ideal for the average IB candidate to maximize their diploma score? Wonder no more, here is the answer!
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Using a new service, students in a growing number of US colleges and universities can place “bets” on their future grades. Ultrinsic combines “ulterior” motives with “intrinsic” motivation. I have this great image of Alfie Kohn drinking a glass of milk while reading this, and then spewing it all over the computer in disbelief.
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A new superintendent of a school in Connecticut could lose his job because he (very stupidly) posted some jokes about his new job on his Facebook wall. There are at least two major Internet pitfalls, and here are some ways to avoid them.
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Easy is a waste of time. Studying and learning is a lot like becoming athletic. You have to work out, push and pull the heaviest loads you are capable of. Sometimes you have to push beyond your comfort zone. Is it really true that young people have lost the ability to think deeply?
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Sometimes it seems that teachers are grasping at straws – the new concept is “teacher-led”, and this fall a new school in Detroit will be leading the charge. No administrators to gum up the works! Let teachers make all the decisions! Will this really improve student learning? Will the excitement last?
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Most of the hullabaloo surrounding the iPad is about whether or not it will make a good student tool. But what about teachers? This review of the iPad is centered on the question of its usefulness as a teacher tool, and as a traveling teacher tool, in particular.
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The online learning world is expanding, especially as technology enables richer media delivery. But is an online curriculum, delivered at home, a good substitute for “going to school”? How effective are these programs?
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A recent story about Elena Kagan’s law school grades was both amusing and absurd. It highlights a number of things about modern and popular culture that ought to be critically evaluated. For example, we should re-evaluate the importance of grades and what exactly they mean. Those who think that an A is an A, and [...]
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The world of free online course material is rapidly expanding. Top universities are pouring large sums into offering their lecture and discussion courses online, with full video, mp3 audio, pdf handouts and more. This is remarkable for you, your profession, and your students.
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Why has Apple turned away from education? Is the iPad the answer? Some might argue that Apple has stayed in the edu-game, but there used to be a dedicated (albeit weird) hardware line for education: the E-mac. Now all you get is $100 off a laptop. Right now, it’s all about the APPS, and Apple is letting the quality of ipad/iphone education apps wallow.
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As teachers prepare their kids for high stakes tests (such as the IB exams that start in a couple of weeks) they would be wise to consider the findings of neuroscientists like Jonah Lehrer. How students approach a test could have a big impact on their performance.
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Published last week, a picture of Albert Einstein’s desk hours after he died. Now I don’t feel so bad… Perhaps this will mollify others out there who are worried about their state of deskular organization.
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Seven articles on science, literature, math, salaries and the internet that you should read this week. One per day, your daily dose.
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“From childhood pretend play to adult fiction, we speed up the capacity of our minds to leap beyond our here and now by taking on new roles, sidling and sliding this way and that through time, space, minds, and modalities, thanks to the intense doses of social information we deal with in fiction.” Ok, that’s what I MEANT to say in my previous post… Dang it. Lots of good links in this post. Check them out.
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Why stories are as important in the classroom as bathroom breaks. And as enjoyable. [Includes Update!]
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Teachers are important influences in children’s lives. Duh. Interesting research has been conducted on the need to intelligently give praise, to tailor rewards such that they don’t interfere with intrinsic motivation to learn and take risks, and now that even the suggestion of gender bias can influence people’s performance on assessments.
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Finding good information, news and articles is tough in the education world. Where do you look for education content, online or offline? Read to see a few sites that are staples of good thought and debate, add yours in the comments. Share! You know you want to!
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