The Educator's Notebook

“How Does Science Really Work?”
New Yorker - 9/28/21

“Science is objective. Scientists are not. Can an “iron rule” explain how they’ve changed the world anyway?”
“What’s The Purpose Of Schooling?”
Christensen Institute - 4/15/21

“To help school communities think through what’s the purpose of schooling, a little history can help, as the dominant policy rationale for public schools’ purpose in society has changed over time. “

“Parents, Stop Talking About The ‘Lost Year’”
New York Times - 4/11/21

“They reason they’ll be fine is built right into the biology of early adolescence, explained Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University and the author of “Age of Opportunity,” the influential 2014 book on adolescent brain science. The fact that middle schoolers are going through a “critical period” of heightened brain flexibility, instability and plasticity, he said, means that they are hypersensitive and ultra-vulnerable — and also extra-primed for adaptability and resilience.”

COVID Makes The Case That The Humanities Should Be Part Of Medical School
New York Times - 4/10/21

“Some humanistic disciplines, like history and philosophy, have long had a foothold in medical education through the fields of social medicine, the history of medicine and biomedical ethics. Penn State’s College of Medicine established the first humanities department within a medical school in 1967. In recent decades, the institutional growth of the medical humanities has accelerated.”
On The Ongoing Revisionist Depictions Of Abraham Lincoln
New Yorker - 9/21/20

“Create More Than You Consume” Jeff Bezos’ Final Shareholder Letter
Amazon - 4/15/21
On Communicating Authentically During A Crisis
Inside Higher Ed - 4/13/21
Four Elements (And Three Domains) Of Being A Successful Principal
ASCD - 4/1/21

“Although the research we reviewed took on many approaches and perspectives, we found three overlapping domains of skills that strong principals have mastered—(1) instruction, (2) people, and (3) the organization.”

The Largest Animals That Could Ever Fly had Spoke-Like Bone Structures
New York Times - 4/14/21
How Students Can Collaborate On Math Problems While Online
Twitter/Edutopia - 4/8/21
The Chemistry Of What Makes Sugar Sweet
New Yorker - 9/21/20

“The atoms in a sucrose molecule are usually stacked in a well-ordered lattice, but when this structure becomes what scientists call “amorphous,” its atoms frozen in random chaos, it dissolves on the tongue much more quickly. Incredo’s exponentially more soluble structure rapidly saturates your taste buds, delivering an intense hit of sweetness.”

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