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Great way to get addicted to TED talks, lots of statistics, amazing facts that definitely have a WOW factor.

Also if using great TED talks like this one, there is a "Show Transcript" button at the bottom which helps to pull quotes if the video is moving to fast.

This article, written by Eric Sheninger (a high school principle), discusses the wide-spread standardization of our education system and how it is steadily destroying it. It talks about how the system of standardization is based off the century-old model focused on industrialization, which produces students that lack creativity, fear failure, and work to do only as they are told. The focus is on test scores, viewed as the only determinant of success. Students are leaving school unprepared for the world awaiting them. The solution according to Sheninger lies in intrinsical motivation. If students and teachers are motivated not by test scores or pay raises, but by creativity and innovation, students will find relevancy and meaning in their education.

I read Zhao's book, "Catching Up or Leading the Way", before applying to the IGSS. The book is about how American students are still on top because the US creates more innovative students while China only creates good test takers. In this video, Zhao discusses why testing is a poor way of measuring education. He goes on to talk about how only testing math, science, and reading does not accurately measure education because many students may be proficient in creative writing or art, two very important skills for any citizen who cares to be an active member of society. He adds at the end that schools should not be rewarded for better test scores, but they should be rewarded for using innovative ways of education. This is important because this is what IGSS is doing and although we may not have the perfect solution to all education reform right now, it is critical that we keep shooting the subject from different angles.

This is an incredibly thought provoking piece because of it's detailed accuracy in describing our education system as a "factory". It is simple to follow and very captivatingly executed. It had a touch of humor that lightened the mood, which is nice for such a serious subject.

This is a poem written in the 1960's that I thought fit in well with what we were talking about. Shows how long the issue of standardization has been an issue. Makes me think about how school teaches kids that there is always a right and wrong way to do things, when thats not necessarily true.

This website gives really helpful advce on how to build an intriging character with a fatal flaw. It talks about building characters that fits into your story plot without getting distracted. I found this website really helpful in general for getting me to start developing my characters!