The Daily Riff - BE SMARTER. ABOUT EDUCATION.

Zuckerberg Doesn't Have a Tiger Daddy

FACEBOOK Zuckerberg father: "Rather than impose upon your kids or try and steer their lives in a certain direction, to recognize what their strengths are and support their strengths and support the development of the things they're passionate about." Read more

Innovation in Singaporean Education: More similar to Finland than the U.S.?

" . . . every child has a talent . . ." Read more

The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System

Can the U.S. and other countries learn from Finland? Or, as some argue, is this an "outlier" country (translate: a country that teaches others no real lessons to others)? We also find juxtaposing Finland's practices with Singapore and Japan, there are several key common themes shared by all, but not witnessed in the U.S., such as teacher autonomy, along with some key differences. You be the decider, and let us know what your riff is Read more

An Awards Day Poem: by a Mom whose son didn't receive one

It's that time of year again, and for many parents, Award Ceremonies at school are like walking an emotional trapeze highwire . . . Read more

A Conversation with Maurice Sendak

"There's something in this country that is so opposed to understanding the complexity of children." -Maurice Sendak, author, Where the Wild Things Are Read more

Q&A with The Daily Riff: Lessons from Singapore

Even though all schools in Singapore are essentially public schools (even the relatively few private schools must adhere to ministry guidelines), Singapore schools have a lot of autonomy. Read more

Technology in Education: Who's in charge? What's it supposed to do?

Lessons from Singapore: To develop self-directed learners, teachers are encouraged to give students opportunities to think about and choose what they want to learn, conduct research, and share what they have learned with their classmates. Read more

How Design Impacted a Rural School System

A "Small Story" with Big Implications: "We need to be better citizens in our own backyard" Read more

8th Graders "Design" Their Way to Learn Math, Science & Writing

STEM to STEAM. Make it real. Make it matter. Let me see how it's done, and I will show you next. Science, Technology, Engineering, Math + the ARTS (Design) = STEAM Read more

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation." - Plato

There is a Play Deficit in our country and it is harming our children. Our children are playing less than any previous generation, and research clearly shows this lack of play is producing profound physical, intellectual, social and emotional problems for today's kids. Read more

I Used to Think . . . that traditional public education was the institution with the most promise . . .

"I saw that teachers unions, administrators, parents, and school boards were locked in a bureaucratic stasis of self-interest. . ." Read more

"A" students tend to become professors, and "C" students become wealthy donors...

"Creativity, he said, might be an even more valuable asset that educators and parents should emphasize." -WSJ quoting Larry Summers, former President of Harvard, President Obama and Clinton advisor Read more

Harvard & MIT investing $60 million in joint venture offering FREE, on-line, graded classes

Announcing edX Read more

Ten Lessons For My Daughters - From a Dad

"Take Trips, Girls. Take Chances. Take Off." - Bruce Feiler - The Council Of Dads Read more

Would You Hire Your Own Kids? 7 Skills Schools Should Be Teaching Them

Tony Wagner, Former HS teacher, Principal & Co-Director At Harvard School Of Education Posts. "The Ability To Ask The Right Questions Is The Single Most Important Skill." Read more

What Adults Can Learn From Kids: "Don't Underestimate Our Ability"

12 Year Old Literacy Advocate Sets Us Straight
Are Teachers & Parents Actually Making Kids "Shrink To Fit?"
TED Video - Eight Minutes of Adora Svitak Read more

Welcome, Professional Students . . . to the Hunger Games, er, we mean School

"First, students have to jump through ever-more demanding, preassigned academic hoops. Instead of developing a passion for one subject, they're rewarded for becoming professional students, getting great grades across all subjects, regardless of their intrinsic interests." - David Brooks, The Creative Monopoly Read more

Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions

Now, here were college grads looking for jobs, and not recognizing that showing curiosity and asking engaging questions could show MORE about WHO they were than reciting some resume paragraph to interviewers in a random interview. -C.J. Westerberg Read more

Are we creating innovators? 22 Insights

C.J. Westerberg dissects new book by Tony Wagner - "Creating Innovators" Video Trailer Read more

Educator shows how collaboration is key to math and science mastery

Innovator or traditional educator? Read more