September 13 - September 20, 2015
Ed tech resistance is moving out of side conversations and into the press. Over the past year, two former boosters have professed disillusionment, and now the OECD has released a report showing correlations (or lack thereof) between technology use in schools and student learning.
The US Department of Education released its college scorecard, providing valuable information about college cost, diversity, graduate employment information, and more. Notably, the scorecard does not grade or rank schools, only make crucial information transparent and easily accessible. What would this look like for high schools?
And also, last year's media conversation surrounding microaggressions and trigger warnings in education settings has evolved into this year's pushback--or, at least: questioning. The feature article offers a meaningful historical and sociological context, and two other articles offer further insight.
These and many other great articles this week.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Universities Are Spinning Internal Tech Into Commercial Products
e-Literate, 9/18/15
"Are these efforts paving the way for universities who know their own business to
create profitable ed tech and services offerings based on unique insights into how
schools really work, or are they vehicles for star-struck administrators seeing glory
and easy revenues? Or both? Only time will tell, but I would expect to see more
announcements of a similar nature over the next year or two."
OECD Report On Whether Tech Helps Learning.
Hack Education, 9/17/15 [Full Report]
"Even where computers are used in the classroom, their impact on student
performance is mixed at best. Students who use computers moderately at school
tend to have somewhat better learning outcomes than students who use computers
rarely. But students who use computers very frequently at school do a lot worse in
most learning outcomes, even after accounting for social background and student
demographics."
The Salutary Effects--And Medicalization--Of Nature
Atlantic, 10/1/15
"Zarr is part of a small but growing group of health-care professionals who are
essentially medicalizing nature... Park prescriptions are a low-risk, low-cost
intervention that, in Zarr's experience, people are quick to accept... Researchers in
the United Kingdom found that when people did physical activities in natural
settings instead of 'synthetic environments,' they experienced less anger, fatigue,
and sadness."
A Sociological Deep Dive Into Microaggressions And Victimhood
Atlantic, 9/11/15
"The sociologists offer structual explanations for why college students are
addressing conflicts within the framework of 'microaggressions.' Victimhood
culture 'arose because of the rise of social conditions conducive to it,' they argue,
'and if it prevails it will be because those conditions have prevailed.' Those social
conditions include the following..."
ADOLESCENCE
British Study Dives Further Into Effects Of Teen Social Media Use
HealthDay, 9/11/15
CHARACTER
Duckworth's Character Lab Introduces Character Report Cards
Character Lab, 9/18/15
Is Curiosity The Trait Of Future Leaders?
Harvard Business Review, 9/11/15
COLLEGE ADVISING
US DOE Launches Scorecard Of (Most) Colleges In America
US Department of Education, 9/12/15
New York Times Covers The College Scorecard Launch
New York Times, 9/12/15
CREATIVITY
A Deep Analysis Of The Disruptive Innovation Theory
MIT Sloan Management Review, 9/15/15
CURRICULUM
Coding For Kindergartners... (!)
NPR, 9/18/15
Should Citizenship Tests Be A High School Requirement?
Atlantic, 9/17/15
Computer Science Courses To Be Offered In All NYC Schools
New York Times, 9/15/15
On The Need For Better Health Education
Guardian, 9/8/15
On The Relationship Between The Arts And Success In The Sciences
Priceonomics, 9/11/15
DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
In Defense Of Trigger Warnings
New York Times, 9/19/15
Against Color Blindness: Kids Need To Learn To Talk About Race
Quartz, 9/8/15
HUMANITIES
Is Our Mixed Monarchy Constitution Less Stable Than We Think?
Atlantic, 10/1/15
LEADERSHIP
How's Holacracy (The Flat Management Structure) Going At Zappos?
Atlantic, 10/1/15
Servant Leadership As The Right Kind Of Leadership
Harvard Business Review, 9/15/15
Sometimes Change Is Best Through The Heart, Sometimes The Mind
Harvard Business Review, 5/20/15
Why Evaluation Systems Must Be Ongoing And Non-Quantitative
Harvard Business Review, 9/8/15
PEDAGOGY
Exam Wrappers: A Brilliant Way To Prompt Metacognitive Thinking
Brilliant Blog, 9/15/15
READING/WRITING
John McPhee On Choosing What To Leave Out When Writing
New Yorker, 9/14/15
STEM
On The Difference Between Computer Science And Making Apps
Medium, 9/14/15
SUSTAINABILITY
Uncivilization: When Advocates For Sustainability Lose Hope
New York Times, 4/17/14
What 2 Years Of A Warmer Pacific Ocean Has Done To Marine Life
Hakai Magazine, 9/16/15
TECH
What's At The Front Edge Of Computer Assisted Teaching (Of Math)
New York Times, 9/14/15
OTHER
Arts Participation (Not Consumption): Driven By Education Not Class
Pacific Standard, 9/15/15
Schools Everywhere Are Wrestling With Dress Codes
NPR, 9/16/15
On The Intelligence Of Physical Work [Podcast]
On Being, 9/3/15
What Jobs Are Likely To Be Automated In The Future? (Not Teachers)
BBC, 9/11/15
The US Department of Education released its college scorecard, providing valuable information about college cost, diversity, graduate employment information, and more. Notably, the scorecard does not grade or rank schools, only make crucial information transparent and easily accessible. What would this look like for high schools?
And also, last year's media conversation surrounding microaggressions and trigger warnings in education settings has evolved into this year's pushback--or, at least: questioning. The feature article offers a meaningful historical and sociological context, and two other articles offer further insight.
These and many other great articles this week.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Universities Are Spinning Internal Tech Into Commercial Products
e-Literate, 9/18/15
"Are these efforts paving the way for universities who know their own business to
create profitable ed tech and services offerings based on unique insights into how
schools really work, or are they vehicles for star-struck administrators seeing glory
and easy revenues? Or both? Only time will tell, but I would expect to see more
announcements of a similar nature over the next year or two."
OECD Report On Whether Tech Helps Learning.
Hack Education, 9/17/15 [Full Report]
"Even where computers are used in the classroom, their impact on student
performance is mixed at best. Students who use computers moderately at school
tend to have somewhat better learning outcomes than students who use computers
rarely. But students who use computers very frequently at school do a lot worse in
most learning outcomes, even after accounting for social background and student
demographics."
The Salutary Effects--And Medicalization--Of Nature
Atlantic, 10/1/15
"Zarr is part of a small but growing group of health-care professionals who are
essentially medicalizing nature... Park prescriptions are a low-risk, low-cost
intervention that, in Zarr's experience, people are quick to accept... Researchers in
the United Kingdom found that when people did physical activities in natural
settings instead of 'synthetic environments,' they experienced less anger, fatigue,
and sadness."
A Sociological Deep Dive Into Microaggressions And Victimhood
Atlantic, 9/11/15
"The sociologists offer structual explanations for why college students are
addressing conflicts within the framework of 'microaggressions.' Victimhood
culture 'arose because of the rise of social conditions conducive to it,' they argue,
'and if it prevails it will be because those conditions have prevailed.' Those social
conditions include the following..."
ADOLESCENCE
British Study Dives Further Into Effects Of Teen Social Media Use
HealthDay, 9/11/15
CHARACTER
Duckworth's Character Lab Introduces Character Report Cards
Character Lab, 9/18/15
Is Curiosity The Trait Of Future Leaders?
Harvard Business Review, 9/11/15
COLLEGE ADVISING
US DOE Launches Scorecard Of (Most) Colleges In America
US Department of Education, 9/12/15
New York Times Covers The College Scorecard Launch
New York Times, 9/12/15
CREATIVITY
A Deep Analysis Of The Disruptive Innovation Theory
MIT Sloan Management Review, 9/15/15
CURRICULUM
Coding For Kindergartners... (!)
NPR, 9/18/15
Should Citizenship Tests Be A High School Requirement?
Atlantic, 9/17/15
Computer Science Courses To Be Offered In All NYC Schools
New York Times, 9/15/15
On The Need For Better Health Education
Guardian, 9/8/15
On The Relationship Between The Arts And Success In The Sciences
Priceonomics, 9/11/15
DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
In Defense Of Trigger Warnings
New York Times, 9/19/15
Against Color Blindness: Kids Need To Learn To Talk About Race
Quartz, 9/8/15
HUMANITIES
Is Our Mixed Monarchy Constitution Less Stable Than We Think?
Atlantic, 10/1/15
LEADERSHIP
How's Holacracy (The Flat Management Structure) Going At Zappos?
Atlantic, 10/1/15
Servant Leadership As The Right Kind Of Leadership
Harvard Business Review, 9/15/15
Sometimes Change Is Best Through The Heart, Sometimes The Mind
Harvard Business Review, 5/20/15
Why Evaluation Systems Must Be Ongoing And Non-Quantitative
Harvard Business Review, 9/8/15
PEDAGOGY
Exam Wrappers: A Brilliant Way To Prompt Metacognitive Thinking
Brilliant Blog, 9/15/15
READING/WRITING
John McPhee On Choosing What To Leave Out When Writing
New Yorker, 9/14/15
STEM
On The Difference Between Computer Science And Making Apps
Medium, 9/14/15
SUSTAINABILITY
Uncivilization: When Advocates For Sustainability Lose Hope
New York Times, 4/17/14
What 2 Years Of A Warmer Pacific Ocean Has Done To Marine Life
Hakai Magazine, 9/16/15
TECH
What's At The Front Edge Of Computer Assisted Teaching (Of Math)
New York Times, 9/14/15
OTHER
Arts Participation (Not Consumption): Driven By Education Not Class
Pacific Standard, 9/15/15
Schools Everywhere Are Wrestling With Dress Codes
NPR, 9/16/15
On The Intelligence Of Physical Work [Podcast]
On Being, 9/3/15
What Jobs Are Likely To Be Automated In The Future? (Not Teachers)
BBC, 9/11/15