Global
Opportunity, Collaboration & Discovery
Innovation in Singaporean Education: More similar to Finland than the U.S.?
" . . . every child has a talent . . ." Read more
Tech in Education: Lessons from Singapore (NEW SERIES)
Educator Bill Jackson goes to Singapore and shares his Spring 2012 findings 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
E-Learning in Singapore: Where Teachers are Involved in Product Development - NEW Post
This gives teachers and schools an important voice in how textbooks, technology and other learning resources are developed. 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
What Students (Really) Need to Know
"A good rule of thumb for many things in life holds that things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then happen faster than you thought they could." - Lawrence Summers Read more
The Minerva Project: Shaking up the Ivies?
A Start-Up "E-lite" University with Urban Classrooms backed by Silicon Valley and Larry Summers Read more
10 Ways to Think Differently about Teaching and Learning
Australian Edna Sackson challenges us whether our classrooms are "old school" or not - Read more
Japanese schooling: "whole child" education, not just academics
"Japanese Schooling Attempts To Develop Students' Creative Talents,Not Just Academic Skills." Read more
Why Other Countries Do Better in Math
Should Parents "Race to the Tutor"? It's not what you think. Guest post. Read more
Wanted: Teacher, Coach, or both?
"The coach is the boss of you, but they're not the boss." Read more
The Chinese Curse. Is America Next?
"HIGH SCORES BUT LOW ABILITY"Is America Leaving Behind What Asia Wants? : Controversial Book & Video Read more
Stories Matter: The Danger of a Single Story
Melinda Gates' Twitter Poll: A Top "Crowd Fav" TED Talk Read more
"What happens to all the Asian-American overachievers when the test-taking ends?"
"Let me summarize my feelings toward Asian values: . . .F--- grade-grubbing. F--- Ivy League mania. F--- deference to authority. . . . F--- earnest, striving middle-class servility." Read more
A "rising global army of freelancers." Are students equipped for this world?
The problem lies with the system that punishes artists and rewards bureaucrats instead. Read more
Apple and Education Publishing: The Disruptor
". . . we'd like you to come along for the ride. But if you choose not to, we won't hesitate to leave you behind . . ." -John Gruber, Daring Fireball, referring to his "guess" about Apple's strategy for the education textbook marketplace Read more
A Connected Teacher: Priceless
Does This Look Like Your School Classroom? Read more
The Best Book about Education for Everyone?
The Global Achievement Gap: Why even our best schools don't teach the survival skills our children need - and what we can do about it Read more
Something's Gotta Give
What stays, what goes, and what we're missing in education Read more
Learning how to teach better through "Lesson Study"
What we can learn from Japan Read more
Misconceptions about learning and teaching
"If I were trying to select a school system for my children or grandchildren, I'd beware of . . . ." Read more
What does it mean to be a tech-savvy and connected principal?
I wasn't there. In fact, I was almost literally half-way around the world. It happened in Philadelphia and I'm in China. Read more
Technology in the Classroom: Myths & Opportunities
Alan November video Read more
Math Tutors to the Rescue?
Why So Many Students Aren't Mastering Basic Math Facts Read more
Singapore Math Demystified!
Guest Post By Scarsdale NY Teacher Bill JacksonThe Daily Riff EXCLUSIVE
Can It Help Solve Our Country's Math-phobia? Read more
"Why Can't Playgrounds Look More Like This?"
"Because a playground doesn't have to cost a million bucks and come in a box. In fact, it's better if it doesn't." Read more
Charlie Rose & Kauffman Foundation On Education & Entrepreneurship
Plus, President "Obama's Entrepreneur Problem" by naming GE's Immelt business czar Read more
The Creativity Initiative in Singapore
Principles for Transformation in Education Read more
A Definitive Guide for Developing a Technology Vision Statement for your School
. . ."students will be inquisitive, open-minded learners who use technology in a balanced & responsible manner along the way to becoming discerning, self-directed life-long learners . . ." Read more
Technology: The Parent Connection
Parent Involvement & School Technology - What Can it Look Like? Read more
The Dilemmas of the "Professional" Teacher
" . . .although it's perfectly true that good teaching and learning in most schools happen - if and when they do - despite, not because of, the systems and structures that are in place." Read more
Ending the Dinosaur Era?
Global is not a test score. Two thought-leaders. Fred Wilson interviews Carlota Perez in this illuminating and inspiring video about our global future Read more
Singapore: Five Surprises in Education
An American Math Teacher's Travel Journal - The Daily Riff EXCLUSIVE Read more
The Great Disruption
"Two master narratives - one threat-based, one opportunity-based, but both involving seismic changes." Read more
Gamers Help Scientific Breakthroughs for AIDS and Cancer
"Developed by researchers at the University of Washington, Foldit turns scientific problems into competitive games."This just in from PC World. Great story going beyond the usual positive spin of gaming. Excerpts: In just three weeks, gamers deciphered the structure of... Read more
A 13-year old shows us how the Fibonacci sequence relates to trees: got that?
Museum of Natural History Award Read more
Teaching For Students. Sounds Obvious. Not.
"Seeing" Learning From The Student Perspective: Guest Post By Bill Jackson, Scarsdale Math Teacher, From Day 6 Travel Journal To Japan Read more
How I Spent My Summer: Being Edgy
"Colleges have moved people from thinking they should be exceptionally well rounded to using the vocabulary that 'well rounded' means 'no edge,' " Read more
"Why It's Smart to be Bi-Lingual" - the brain's new super-food?
Watch actor Bradley Cooper, of The Hangover impress in this interview done in French. Read more
Going Beyond Singapore Math: Resisting Quick Fixes
But if we keep throwing out promising ideas just because they don't immediately improve scores on tests whose quality is questionable at best we're doomed to repeating the haphazard and fragmented reform efforts that got us here in the first place. Read more
Math Spiraling: down a black hole to nowhere?
Are there too many Math concepts being taught in the early years? Read more
What Should Kids Know?
What about reading and writing, civics, life skills, mastery skills, pleasure of knowledge? What kind of Math should high schoolers learn? Read more
Got Jobs? Yup. Got Tech?
A Help Wanted Listing via Fred Wilson post Read more
The Social Network Grows Up with Google Plus
What goes round must . . . What circle of "Friends" are you in? Sound familiar? Read more
Burma Through Skateboarding
Video - was hooked after the first minute. Global, Culture, Education. Read more
Compare Singapore vs. U.S. Teacher Development. Hmm.
How the U.S. Can Build A Better Teacher Read more
Google Science Fair: Singing Fingers & Musical Paint Strokes?
Mitch Resnick, professor of MIT Media Lab takes us on a quick discovery tour - Video Read more
The Story of One School : Disaster in Japan
60 Minutes' reporter Scott Pelley reports that the crisis is so vast, unimaginable, and difficult to convey that he he chose one story to capture the devastation and impact on so many lives. He brings us to one elementary school. Read more
Some Big Questions for Educators & Parents
"Are we intentionally, purposefully, and explicitly modeling these new technology literacies for our students?" Read more
Across the pond: Wealthiest students to pay premium fees to get into top universities?
Turning back the clock when "breeding not brains matter" Read more
Sir Ken Robinson: The Purpose of Education
It's Personal. Cultural. Economic. Read more
Education Love-Fest on "Morning Joe"
"Not embracing the status quo and doing everything we can to push for re-invention and self-renewal in education." Howard Shultz, Randi Weingarten, Geoffrey Canada Read more
A More Global Perspective On Teacher Development
High Stakes Standardized Tests As Measurement? Teacher Development & "What Works" With Students Read more
What world am living in . . . what should I learn?
Tom Friedman asks "How Do We Adapt to Thrive?" Lessons from Singapore Read more
Are Chinese Moms Better than American Moms?
The parents reading this article in the Wall Street Journal are more likely to be the ones having their their children tutored, equally-scheduled, and possibly kinda cheating, and/or privately schooled, and legacy-guaranteed to some marquee-name university, so they can agree with Chua's so called superior- parenting techniques . . . ." C.J. Westerberg Read more
The Teacher Model in Singapore: What Matters Most
"Numerous research studies point to why developing good teachers should be our priority, how effective teachers improve student learning, and the devastating effect that ineffective teachers have on students (many a parent can relate to this)." Read more
Learn Chinese & Become A Communist ?!
Socialism Studies With Jon Stewart on The Daily Show- PLUS CNN UPDATE 1/19/2011 Read more
The Emerging Job Market
Does your grad have what it takes? Are our students learning "the right stuff"? Read more
Bill Gates Riffs about Math Education
Video: The Future of On-Line Lectures plus what Bill is reading and watching these days - Read more
Six Creative Ways: Students + Tech = Contributors to Society
By Alan November: "If our children are to grow up to make important contributions to our society, it is essential that we provide them with powerful tools and experiences across the curriculum. This will require a new culture of teaching and learning that engages students as contributors." Read more
Did you Know? Shift Happens. Top Viral Video in Education?
Technology, Globalization and The Information Age Read more
Pickling the Cyber-bully Viruses
Australia's "Cure the Bullies" Campaign Read more
Bringing Singapore Math To Your School
PLUS Teacher Development - Exclusive Guest Post By Bill Jackson Read more
Disney's Schools In China
" Disney's focus groups find that for Chinese parents, 'education means everything'. English, in particular, is viewed as a ticket to the wider world ..." Read more
Cool, Cheap & Clever: 7 Designs for School
Check out the "Lily Pad", a very cool mat for developing countries (why not living rooms?) and the SoapShish - too cool for words so why not Math? Read more
Singapore Math Demystified! Can Solving Problems Unravel Our Fear Of Math?
PART 2: Guest Post By Bill Jackson, Math Helping Teacher, Scarsdale, NY Public Schools, one of the highest performing districts in the country, due to popular interest from parents and schools Read more
"Teach less, learn more." Lessons from Singapore, an economic "outlier" . . .
The Math Journey of a Leading Nation from a Global Perspective Read more
Destination: Education
Imagine If Every Student Spent A Year Abroad Before College. . . Read more
What American Teachers Can Learn From Japan
Bill Jackson Shares His Travel Journal To Japan & What He Found Out About Improving Teacher Quality, Cooking Shows & Asking Questions First Read more
The Professional Lives of Teachers in Singapore
An American Math Teacher Travel Journal Read more
India's "I Can" Mind Shift: What America Can Learn
By Empowering Kids To "Lead The Change", India Raised Math, English and Science Outcomes Read more
Teachers Can't Do It Alone
A powerful and well-done video presentation about the teaching profession - the churn, the upcoming demand, and most glaringly, the lack of collaboration . . . Read more
Education Arms Race
Outnumbered? Sure. Yet are we dumping valuable assets? Dr. Yong Zhao and "2 Million Minutes" Compton Duke It Out In One Of The Most Important Debates In Education Today Read more
Teachers As "Underground Freedom Fighters"
" . . .I asked him how he selects the one student he will observe.He told me that he listens carefully to what students are saying to themselves and
chooses a student who is 'thinking out loud.' . . " - Bill Jackson Read more
College Grads: Diploma First. Passport Next.
"I don't care where you went to business school. I don't care whether your grades were good or bad. You have to leave the country." Read more
A Leader Reveals Key Job Candidate Questions
" . . .In abundance, it's very easy to lose focus. But in adversity, one must have extreme focus. . . " Read more
"Always Learning": The Next Work-Out For Boomers & Gen-X?
" . . .This is the largest study ever to confirm that hitting the books could help you fight the symptoms of dementia in later life. . ." Read more
Japanese Math Textbooks: Less Is More
Day Six: A Math Teacher's Travel Journal To Japan - A Global Perspective Read more
Star Trek Has Arrived: Telepresence Coming To Schools?
Cool Technology: The Next Wave In Videoconferencing - "Beam Me Up, Scotty". Read more
The Oil Spill And Our Educated Citizenry
"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." ... Read more
Chatroulette: Is Your Teen/Tween On This On-Line "Porn" Chat Room?
What Every Parent MUST Know: New Free Video Chat Site With No Real Age Restriction Making It Big With The Younger Set Read more
NYT: "We Have Met The Enemy And He Is PowerPoint"
"When We Understand That Slide, We'll Have Won The War:" General Scott McChrystal 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
Singapore Math - Or How I Learned To Love Numbers
Guest Post By Kathleen Jalalpour, Middle School Math Teacher & Teacher Trainer Read more
Invention Investor & Climate Freakonomist
Nathan Myhrvold: Scientist, Inventor, Billionaire, Investor. Video. Read more
"The Flat World and Education": A Wake-Up Call For Teachers & Parents
Video Comparing The U.S. Vs. Other Countries: What They Do Right & What We Can Learn From Them. Is This The Book Of The Year By Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond? Read more
VIRTUAL "FIELD TRIP" TO CHINA. INTERRUPTED.
HOW U.S.- CHINESE CYBER-RELATIONS MAY AFFECT EDUCATION Read more
CALLING ALL SCHOOLS TO HELP THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY
Water, food, medical supplies, shelter all are needed. . .as are our prayers. Your kids will be hearing about this devastation in school and it is important to be able to dispel any fears and misinformation Read moreThere's something in this country that is so opposed to understanding the complexity of children.Maurice Sendak RIP, best-selling childrens'author, Where the Wild Things Are, during interview with Stephen Colbert
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Most Popular
- Innovation in Singaporean Education: More similar to Finland than the U.S.?
- Tech in Education: Lessons from Singapore (NEW SERIES)
- The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System
- E-Learning in Singapore: Where Teachers are Involved in Product Development - NEW Post
- Q&A with The Daily Riff: Lessons from Singapore