Magpies and Octopi

Todd Frankel writes: "

There was this test. And it was daunting. It was like the SAT or ACT -- which many American millennials are no doubt familiar with, as they are on track to be the best educated generation in history -- except this test was not about getting into college. This exam, given in 23 countries, assessed the thinking abilities and workplace skills of adults. It focused on literacy, math and technological problem-solving. The goal was to figure out how prepared people are to work in a complex, modern society.

And U.S. millennials performed horribly."

Proposals to sell and develop library sites in Brooklyn are being met with the usual arguments, but the plans actually look promising.

Rachel Vail writes: "1. I was not trying to get attention by falling off the chair. I am approximately infinity inches bigger than I was yesterday and I just lost track of how to balance. I felt like an idiot so I made falling into a joke. Crying was the other choice. And I’d rather cut off my arm than cry in school."

Preschoolers performed better on literacy tests when their parents received text messages with tips on how to help them, a study in San Francisco found.

Walter Isaacson, the C.E.O. of the Aspen Institute, reflects on how the most imaginative innovators of our time turn ideas into reality.

"Responsibility to yourself means that you don't fall for shallow and easy solutions."

 

Joshua Rothman writes: "For a long time, people didn’t love literature. They read with their heads, not their hearts."

We are gorging ourselves on useless information that clogs our devices.

Discover some great shooting and editing tips for taking better iPhone photos in a variety of low light situations.

Edutopia blogger Todd Finley explores the power and purpose of the teenage brain, discovering surprises such as low dopamine levels, abundant of hyperrationality, and how adults can enable teen impulse by subtly redirecting it.

Kathy Knutson writes: "Summer is a time for adventure. Giving your child opportunities for using the Internet to explore interests and answer questions can help prevent summer slide and prepare them for their return to school. But as a bonus, it will help them become self-directed learners."

Following today's earlier post about violence against women, I'd like to share excerpts from Jeopardy champ Arthur Chu's "Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Misogyny, Entitlement, and Nerds" ( I c...

A new study of thousands of mobile phone users in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe finds that mobile phones, though still underutilized, are contributing to an increase in reading.

If our students look at the work we’re asking them to do today and say “It doesn’t matter,” we’re missing a huge opportunity to help them become the learners they now need to be.

A brief stroll, even one just around your office, can spur creativity, according to a new study.