There are anthologies of great literature and primary documents, but why not “30 for Under 20: Great Nonfiction Narratives?” Until such editions appear, teachers can find complex, literary works in collections like “The Best American Science and Nature Writing,” on many newspaper Web sites, which have begun providing online lesson plans using articles for younger readers, and on ProPublica.org. Last year, The Atlantic compiled examples of the year’s best journalism, and The Daily Beast has its feature “Longreads.” Longform.org not only has “best of” contemporary selections but also historical examples dating back decades.
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Creativity Is Not the Enemy of Good Writing - Bob Fecho and Stephanie Jones - The Atlantic - 0 views
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Teaching is a compassionate profession, and caring about kids' feelings should be a crucial part of helping them learn.
What Should Children Read? - NYTimes.com - 1 views
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Adult titles, like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” already have young readers editions, and many adult general-interest works, such as Timothy Ferris’s “The Whole Shebang,” about the workings of the universe, are appropriate for advanced high-school students.
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In addition to a biology textbook, for example, why can’t more high school students read “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”?
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"A striking assumption animates arguments on both sides, namely that nonfiction is seldom literary and certainly not literature. Even Mr. Coleman erects his case on largely dispiriting, utilitarian grounds: nonfiction may help you win the corner office but won't necessarily nourish the soul. As an English teacher and writer who traffics in factual prose, I'm with Mr. Coleman. In my experience, students need more exposure to nonfiction, less to help with reading skills, but as a model for their own essays and expository writing, what Mr. Gladwell sought by ingesting "Talk of the Town" stories. I love fiction and poetry as much as the next former English major and often despair over the quality of what passes for "informational texts," few of which amount to narrative much less literary narrative. What schools really need isn't more nonfiction but better nonfiction, especially that which provides good models for student writing. Most students could use greater familiarity with what newspaper, magazine and book editors call "narrative nonfiction": writing that tells a factual story, sometimes even a personal one, but also makes an argument and conveys information in vivid, effective ways." -
"What schools really need isn't more nonfiction but better nonfiction, especially that which provides good models for student writing. " Totally supports my belief that nonfiction longreads are out there on the internet and are not being taken advantage of by teachers -- enough.
Is This Grade School a 'Cult'? (And Do Parents Care?) - Emily Chertoff - The Atlantic - 0 views
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re popularity of Waldorf / Steiner schools in the US at the moment
'I Urge You to Drop E67-02': Course Syllabi by Famous Authors - Emily Temple - The Atla... - 1 views
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fascinating reading - which I will be using as I order books for the library - e.g., course reading lists by David Foster Wallace, WH Auden, etc.
The Touch-Screen Generation - Hanna Rosin - The Atlantic - 0 views
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Great read about the Touch Screen Generation & technology. Challenges the status quo in a well articulated way.
Video - A 1940s Guide to Printing - The Atlantic - 1 views
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An old 1947 video of how books were made mid-20th century -- fascinating
'Plug In Better': A Manifesto - Alexandra Samuel - Technology - The Atlantic - 0 views
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Unplugging isn't realistic. Plug in better is a solution. Get rid of the digital distractions with a targeted approach.
'Plug In Better': A Manifesto - Alexandra Samuel - The Atlantic - 0 views
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An alternative way of looking at 'balance' and 'distraction' with digital devices. Really great ideas for students and teachers here.
What the Internet Means for How We Think About the World - Rebecca J. Rosen - Technolog... - 0 views
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An article/interview with David Weinberger about his new book, Too Big to Know, which I'm really excited about (as I'm reading it on my iPad).... Yes, it will be available in the library very soon.
Why Getty Going Free Is Such a Big Deal, Explained in Getty Images - Megan Garber - The... - 0 views
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Getty Images is making tens of millions of its photos free for non-commercial use
My Daughter's Homework Is Killing Me - Karl Taro Greenfeld - The Atlantic - 2 views
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An interesting tale of homework in Middle school
Single-Tasking Is the New Multitasking - The Atlantic - 3 views
10 Essential Books for Thought-Provoking Summer Reading - Maria Popova - Entertainment ... - 1 views
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10 Essential Books for Thought-Provoking Summer Reading (these look great!)
The Overprotected Kid - The Atlantic - 0 views
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Sandseter began observing and interviewing children on playgrounds in Norway. In 2011, she published her results in a paper called “Children’s Risky Play From an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences.” Children, she concluded, have a sensory need to taste danger and excitement; this doesn’t mean that what they do has to actually be dangerous, only that they feel they are taking a great risk. That scares them, but then they overcome the fear. In the paper, Sandseter identifies six kinds of risky play: (1) Exploring heights, or getting the “bird’s perspective,” as she calls it—“high enough to evoke the sensation of fear.” (2) Handling dangerous tools—using sharp scissors or knives, or heavy hammers that at first seem unmanageable but that kids learn to master. (3) Being near dangerous elements—playing near vast bodies of water, or near a fire, so kids are aware that there is danger nearby. (4) Rough-and-tumble play—wrestling, play-fighting—so kids learn to negotiate aggression and cooperation. (5) Speed—cycling or skiing at a pace that feels too fast. (6) Exploring on one’s own.
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This last one Sandseter describes as “the most important for the children.” She told me, “When they are left alone and can take full responsibility for their actions, and the consequences of their decisions, it’s a thrilling experience.”
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the final irony is that our close attention to safety has not in fact made a tremendous difference in the number of accidents children have.
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Sandseter began observing and interviewing children on playgrounds in Norway. In 2011, she published her results in a paper called "Children's Risky Play From an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences." Children, she concluded, have a sensory need to taste danger and excitement; this doesn't mean that what they do has to actually be dangerous, only that they feel they are taking a great risk. That scares them, but then they overcome the fear. In the paper, Sandseter identifies six kinds of risky play: (1) Exploring heights, or getting the "bird's perspective," as she calls it-"high enough to evoke the sensation of fear." (2) Handling dangerous tools-using sharp scissors or knives, or heavy hammers that at first seem unmanageable but that kids learn to master. (3) Being near dangerous elements-playing near vast bodies of water, or near a fire, so kids are aware that there is danger nearby. (4) Rough-and-tumble play-wrestling, play-fighting-so kids learn to negotiate aggression and cooperation. (5) Speed-cycling or skiing at a pace that feels too fast. (6) Exploring on one's own.