The Daily Riff - BE SMARTER. ABOUT EDUCATION.

"Morning Joe" PowWOW: "Great Expectations" In Education

Joe & Mika Brought Out The Big Guns: Mayor Bloomberg, Jeb Bush, John Legend, Al Sharpton, Blair Taylor, Mayor Cory Booker . . . see videos! Read more

Congress Passes New Student Loan Bill: Education Dept. "Flying Solo" Eliminating Banks

Fierce Bank Lobbying Defeated! "Can DOE Handle It Solo?", asks NPR. Goal To Make It Easier For More Kids To Get Loans. Read more

Why Do Schools Have To Be So Beige? Brooklyn Middle School Shows True Colors

Why do most schools look like left-over military bases? Read more

Careers In Math And The Sciences? Juggle Deadly Chemicals and Electricity? Rubbish!

My interest was piqued as I presumed I was about to enter the fray debating whether sociopathic, liberal high schools should be allowed to breed their own stem cells, only to find that STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. (Humor) Read more

Controversial Documentary "Waiting for Superman" Expected To Shake Up Education World

Directed and produced by Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim of An Inconvenient Truth, Superman "reminds us that education 'statistics' have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily." Read more

COLLEGE MIA'S #3

Not Everyone Is College Material. See The List Grow: Those Who Dropped Out Or Never Entered . . . Read more

A Tipping Point In Education

JOE & AL READY "TO TURN THE TABLES OVER IN THE TEMPLE" Joe Scarborough and the Rev. Al Sharpton shook up the education world during a recent segment of "Morning Joe", where they had a very direct exchange and agreed on key points in education reform. Read more

"Math Survivor" Game: Created By Two Moms

A Big Hit: Based on the "Survivor" Reality Show, Kindergarten Through Grade 5 Kids Had The Chance For Their Own Adventure, Complete with Math Challenges, Flags, Tribe Council & Worm Eating Read more

Discovery Premieres Stunning 11-Part "LIFE" Series - Natural Science Lessons At Home

Narrated By Oprah Winfrey - Photography "Ultimate Portrait In Animal Behavior" Read more

Why We Need Mentors In School & Work More Than Ever

"The young entrepreneurs who are starting companies for the first time are best served by seeking out and getting experienced serial entrepreneurs as angel investors, board members, and mentors.We encourage all of the first time entrepreneurs we work with to do... Read more

Create 1.5 Million Jobs By Fixing Our Crumbling Schools?

Sounds like a plan.  Link here for more info. How any school in this country has sub-par facilities is beyond comprehension.What do you think?... Read more

M.I.A. #2

Read more

Joe Scarborough: "Is The President Strong Enough" To Take On Teacher Unions?

"Morning Joe" Presses Arne Duncan Hard On Teacher Unions & Charters - Video Read more

Duncan On "Morning Joe": A New No Child Left Behind?

The chess pieces are starting to line up for the passing of a new education law which is morphing from the old No Child Left Behind into what is now called ESEA.  Link here to overview from The New York... Read more

"Make A Future" Video

The UK Future View Of Education's Role In This Clever Video (3min) Read more

M.I.A #1

Read more

History Maker Tom Hanks & Colbert Talk HBO's "The Pacific" & Video Visit To The White House

HBO's "The Pacific" - See new videos below w/Stephen Spielberg & Tom Hanks at The White House PLUS Hanks has some fun with Stephen Colbert defending his "History Maker" moniker, as coined by Time magazine. Read more

Bill Maher: Fire The Parents, Not The Teachers

VIDEO - Did Newsweek Cover Put Maher, A Teacher Union Critic, Over The Edge? Read more

Singapore Math - Or How I Learned To Love Numbers

Guest Post By Kathleen Jalalpour, Middle School Math Teacher & Teacher Trainer Read more

Michelle Obama: "We're In Charge" - Obesity Not Kids' Fault - Global Issue

Newsweek breaks this week with terrific multi-article coverage of First Lady Michelle Obama's take-no-prisoners campaign to help bring our child obesity epidemic and our super-size-it mentality to a tipping point.  Link to articles here.   An excerpt of her much-needed "tough... Read more

Top Chef Jamie Oliver Joins FLOTUS Michelle Obama Vs. Our Overweight Kid Epidemic

Join the "Food Revolution": Can Your High Schooler Cook 10 Healthy Meals? Videos. Read more

Scarborough and Bernstein In Heated Exchange With Teacher Union Head On "Morning Joe"

By C.J. WesterbergThe scene was Randi Weingarten, head of the AFT (teachers union), with Joe Scarborough, host of Morning Joe, journalist Carl Bernstein, and Willie Geist, host of Way Too Early.You could sense the restraint used by everyone at the... Read more

In The Arena: Teacher Union Head Weingarten Vs. School Reformer Rhee

Newsweek: "It Has An Almost Gladiatorial Aspect To It." - Chester Finn, Jr. Read more

BUILDING A BETTER TEACHER

The New York Times Magazine Cover Story Plus Extensive Reader Comments To "Can Teachers Be Taught To Teach Better?" Our Recommended Read. Read more

PBS: Next "Golden Age" Of Arts In America

Spearheaded By The Surge In New Media, PBS Prez Announces "Major Online Initiative" Bringing Arts To Wider Audience In An Impassioned Speech In Los Angeles. Read more

Obama Speech Rattles Teacher Union Head

"Showed Real Courage": Uses Firing Of Entire Faculty At Rhode Island's Central Falls High School As Example Of Strategy For A School That "Continues To Fail" Read more

Smarter? Liberals or Conservatives? Hmmm...

ARE LIBERALS SMARTER THAN CONSERVATIVES? Read more