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

Leaving to Learn: The book to read this summer

Getting Out of the School Silo: "Just because you leave does not mean that your education is necessarily interrupted." Read more

A Thinking Moment: Sendak and True Courage

What does it take for a child to have courage? Read more

Forget Calculus. Learn Statistics. It's about data, stupid.

UPDATE TODAY The 3 Billion Dollar Brain - Obama's Brain Activity Map Read more

The Only Child. Spoiled? Lonely? Nope.

Chelsea Clinton, Cary Grant, Rudy Giuliani, Robin Williams, Mahatma Ghandi & Frank Sinatra: You're Not Alone Read more

Stigliz on Education

VIDEO: "We have an education system that is very dependent on where you live, where you live is very dependent on what you can afford . . . " Read more

Want students to learn Math? Try Rock-Paper-Scissors (& not the game)

"Other researchers at the University of Virginia center have found executive function, fine-motor skills, and general knowledge in kindergarten are better predictors of 8th grade reading and math achievement than early-literacy skills." Read more

The Limits of Education

New guest post. Financial Literacy: Yes. Does it equal "doing the right thing?" Not necessarily. Read more

The Inner Net

Connected and Disconnected Read more

What I'm reading now: Laptop U - Has the future of college moved online?

The New Yorker has a big sprawling piece on MOOCs - a Must-Read. Read more

Tom Friedman: Think Like an Immigrant

Five Ways to Succeed in Life and Work Read more

Advice for Teens Going to College

Weekend Funnies: "Amid skyrocketing tuition costs and dismal job prospects, Aasif Mandvi imparts a healthy fear of higher education in a group of at risk young people." (04:57) Read more

Whoa. Student Rants at Teacher in this Jaw-drop Video

"you want a kid to change and start doing better?" "you gotta touch his frickin' heart." PLUS NEW Interview - 4 million views of Jeff Bliss AFTER his rant Read more

Ouch! Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation?

and/or The Next Greatest? The 80 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000 Video Read more

Why Perry Hall is not in the National Lexicon

Afterwards he stated in a recorded call from the jail with a cousin: "You know what school I wish I went to? Sandy Hook Elementary." Read more

Engaging Students through Problem-Solving, not looking for "one right answer"

A Good News Story: Middle-schoolers building an energy-saving device to improve lives. Read more

No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship

Every child deserves a champion - TED talk Read more

Students Need Different Things: "We Are All Part Of The Puzzle"

Guest Post By California English High School Teacher & Author Jim Burke Read more

Am I Preparing Students for My Age or Theirs?

I can never understand how and why we expect students with far more energy, ideas, natural creativity and far more everything, to be more "contained" in their behavior than adults. Read more

Boston: A Gollum Moment for Media? And nostalgic for Tom Friedman?

Pro-innovation-disruption-MOOC-advocate and NYTimes columnist Thomas Friedman gets nostalgic: "That's why, when the Internet first emerged and you had to connect via a modem, I used to urge that modems sold in America come with a warning label from the surgeon general, like cigarettes. It would read: "Attention: Judgment not included." Read more