tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13307963665653315002024-03-08T04:57:29.168-08:00Acton Academy ParentsActon Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08377047213973923936noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-49447400255293216272012-11-25T19:39:00.001-08:002012-11-25T19:39:47.424-08:00Why Online Education WorksProfessor at George Mason University and Co-Founder of MRUniversity.com, Alex Tabarrok, thoughtfully lays out the advantages of online education. While the article is mostly focused on post-secondary education, many of his arguments can apply equally well to k-12 IMHO.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cato-unbound.org/2012/11/12/alex-tabarrok/why-online-education-works/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link: Why Online Education Works">http://www.cato-unbound.org/2012/11/12/alex-tabarrok/why-online-education-works/</a><br />
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<br />Colleen Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594277095380747516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-35716463516465469112012-05-31T11:34:00.002-07:002012-05-31T11:34:47.241-07:00Nice piece about a guy's hero's journey, and some interesting thoughts about nurturing talent:<br />
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303674004577434550791785644.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_readUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-60917082197168378572012-05-14T14:21:00.001-07:002012-05-14T14:21:09.273-07:00"How to Beat the Odds at Judging Risk" <br />
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This short article reminded me of the topic brought up at the recent parents' meeting. In a nutshell: Risk Intelligence can be improved by learning probability and statistics.<br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment-->http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304451104577392270431239772-lMyQjAxMTAyMDEwMzExNDMyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email<br />
<br />Colleen Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594277095380747516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-38361934365603288342012-04-15T07:25:00.002-07:002012-04-15T07:31:10.653-07:00WSJ Article Today - Educating the Next Steve Jobs<div>It appears Acton's approach is right on the mark per this author. I'm curious if anyone has read Tony Wagner's book: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 9px; ">"Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World." </span> Please comment if you do/don't recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304444604577337790086673050.html?mod=WeekendHeader_Rotator</div>Colleen Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594277095380747516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-61708363782442117762012-03-26T07:03:00.000-07:002012-03-26T07:04:06.099-07:00on character<div>good snack for thought with morning coffee</div><div><br /></div>http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/character-and-its-discontents/?hpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-66548915015949341802012-03-22T09:09:00.001-07:002012-03-22T09:09:57.186-07:00next year, statisticswe can begin to prepare for that with this entertaining article:<div>http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/03/18/a-fun-diy-science-goodie-proof-yourself-against-sensationalized-stats/</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-24304728460898202942012-03-21T09:53:00.001-07:002012-03-21T09:55:37.429-07:00re power<div><br /></div>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/science/the-snails-of-war-and-other-robotics-experiments.html?_r=1<div><br /></div><div>I'm hoping the scientists and engineers perfect the electric snail before the electric cockroach... our local water bugs strike me as plenty energetic already. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-10076443985680620542012-03-19T10:22:00.002-07:002012-03-19T10:29:56.089-07:00Heroic Imagination ProjectI happened upon this Wired article about a Stanford professor's project to teach middle schoolers about social psychology and create the next generation of American heroes. It's an interesting take on developing heroism in young people.<div><br /></div><div>http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/the-hero-project/ </div>Colleen Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17594277095380747516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-14866638166637596562012-03-05T19:34:00.003-08:002012-03-05T19:48:39.817-08:00Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's JourneyI just watched this fantastic documentary about Kevin Cash, the puppeteer responsible for the character of Elmo. It is a fascinating story about the journey he took to actualize his childhood dream of becoming a puppeteer on Sesame Street. I was completely transfixed the entire time. Beautiful and truly inspiring.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14529383542145488293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-87753695636714445482012-02-25T08:57:00.005-08:002012-02-25T09:13:53.555-08:00Curiosity Propels Student to Learn 11+ LanguagesI enjoyed this video by Alex Rawlings on his love of learning languages. I had a similar upbringing as his -- a mother who spoke Portuguese and a father in international business. These influences sparked my curiosity early. Before I left my PhD program in Slavic Linguistics I knew well over 20 languages and had multiple job offers from the CIA. Product of a super intellect? Not really. As Alex rightly admits, the more languages you know, the easier it gets. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17107435">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17107435</a>Katharine Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14684482090825082355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-56127130185111171042012-02-21T18:00:00.000-08:002012-02-21T18:24:55.282-08:00Danil Trifonov: Dedicated to LearningAn interesting article for pianists -- as well as for those curious about excellence. Danil Trifonov is currently THE top classical pianist in the world, having won a string of important competitions in the last year, topped off by a win at the Olympics of piano, The Tchaikovsky International Competition (which -- if you recall -- Van Cliburn won at the height of the Cold War). He has reached the pinnacle of his profession, however, Trifonov still speaks about finding opportunities for growth and the importance of prioritizing learning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chron.com/life/article/Pianist-Daniil-Trifonov-dedicated-to-learning-3344591.php">http://www.chron.com/life/article/Pianist-Daniil-Trifonov-dedicated-to-learning-3344591.php</a><br /><br />Here is Trifonov playing a popular virtuoso piece by Liszt. Just watch the fingers!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5Qsd0k4ZY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5Qsd0k4ZY</a><br /><br />Catch him in Houston tomorrow night if you can!Katharine Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14684482090825082355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-67732702894903545682012-02-18T17:22:00.000-08:002012-02-18T17:51:17.451-08:00Developing Self-ControlI enjoyed this article about building self-control. As a parent, I find that teaching my children "how to be" is my most challenging and most valuable role. I agree with the author that "the key is to harness the child’s own drives." We can create an environment for them to succeed in, but ultimately, they need to believe that the pursuit of excellence is worth it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/opinion/sunday/building-self-control-the-american-way.html?ref=opinion">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/opinion/sunday/building-self-control-the-american-way.html?ref=opinion</a>Katharine Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14684482090825082355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-46065645501386973592012-02-10T09:13:00.000-08:002012-02-10T09:21:31.575-08:00how do we define excellence?Chapter three of An Ethic of Excellence, one of the books Jeff gave out at the last parents' lunch meeting, offers a pretty stunning vision of what excellence can look like in students' work and how to achieve it. The whole book is valuable, but for those pressed for time that chapter in particular is highly recommended.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-53366425584873928472012-02-06T19:51:00.000-08:002012-02-06T20:04:20.630-08:00sibling relationships<div>Today I realized that, although we have done research to add dimension to our intuition and experiential understanding of parenting (especially when our kids were babies, and most especially when we were becoming first time parents), it's been awhile since I've read up on parenting strategies that would resonate with our current life situation. Our sons have a special and amazing relationship, but as they grow and change I'm feeling like it's the right time to check in on what knowledge and information are floating about regarding nurturing the sibling bond. Is it very different if the siblings are same gander or different gender? Not sure; Matt and I were both raised with sister(s) and no brothers, so this boy world seems a little exotic. </div><div>Does anyone have book - or other- recommendations?</div><div>Here's an example in the form of a blog (that may no longer exist) that outlined some obvious stuff- but if you're like me, the obvious is an outstretched hand I will gratefully grab in moments of feeling overwhelmed.</div>http://raisingbrothers.tumblr.com/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-29518166261959088512012-02-06T08:07:00.001-08:002012-02-06T08:07:39.766-08:00on teaching patience and delayed gratificationhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204740904577196931457473816.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_readUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-79402072975415564842012-01-12T14:14:00.000-08:002012-01-12T14:15:15.912-08:00Luminarium<div>This looks intriguing. </div><div><br /></div>http://www.thelongcenter.org/architects_of_air.aspxUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-72442901774495262732012-01-05T09:19:00.000-08:002012-01-05T09:21:23.360-08:00a 13 year old's science experiment<div>good story about curiosity, inspiration, taking risks and making mistakes</div><div><br /></div>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203550304577138511287470508.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTTopCarousel_1Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-1343374083163207752011-11-03T08:40:00.000-07:002011-11-03T08:44:54.747-07:00a way for kids to contribute<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the cool weather gets me thinking about ways to get my children thinking beyond their own needs- check out www.wegivebooks.org. Their tagline is "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Read a book. Give a book.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; text-shadow: rgb(153, 153, 153) 1px 1px 1px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Combining the joy of reading with the power of helping others". </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-46296288050068238162011-10-24T18:45:00.000-07:002011-10-24T18:47:27.696-07:00on Khan Academyfound this while searching for (with intention to post) Clive Thompson's latest Wired article, on kids using google, apparently not yet available online....<div><br /></div><div>http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/07/ff_khan/all/1</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-86938017863976906132011-09-21T09:06:00.000-07:002011-09-21T09:07:58.854-07:00re: pushing our limits, physically and mentally- or maybe it's all mental?Interesting.<div>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/health/nutrition/20best.html?_r=1&ref=science</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-77797213735120702622011-09-14T09:15:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:16:06.114-07:00character and education<div>do note the author's last name...</div><div><br /></div>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html?_r=1&hpUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-14603517859677105272011-09-02T06:31:00.000-07:002011-09-02T06:33:26.354-07:00on math<div>This blog could be a good place to post links of potential interest to the Acton community- I'll begin with this one:</div>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/opinion/how-to-fix-our-math-education.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-58867577655852484852010-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:002010-09-13T11:55:19.789-07:00Austin Tinkering School!Following in the footsteps of Gever Tully (founder of the original Tinkering School in California and author of "50 dangerous things you should let your children do", my friend Kami Wilt has started the Austin Tinkering School. <br /><br />She offers summer camps and workshops throughout the year where:<br /><br />"kids can get their hands on real tools and real materials. Adults serve as collaborators rather than teachers for maximum engagement, interest, enthusiasm, learning, and enjoyment."<br /><br />Obviously very in line with the Acton Philosophy! <br /><br />I have signed Bodhi up for the Six Simple Machines class on Tuesdays from 4-6pm. (see description below).<br /><br />http://austintinkeringschool.wordpress.com/<br /><br /><p><strong>Six Simple Machines</strong> ages 4-8 $175 <br /></p> <p>CLASS ADDED: now also offered Tuesdays 4-6 Sept. 21st through Oct. 26th </p> <p>In this class we will explore the six simple machines ( pulleys, levers, screws, wedges, wheel and axles, and inclined planes) in the most hands-on and experiential way possible. I’ll bring lots of examples of these machines that we use in daily life, and we’ll do a fun project each week using each machine. For a grand finale we’ll spend the last day making <a href="http://getyourmesson.blogspot.com/2010/08/rube-goldberg-machines.html">Rube Goldberg machines</a>.<br /></p>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14529383542145488293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-66492307708755198462010-06-19T12:55:00.001-07:002010-06-19T13:06:07.615-07:00book group?I'm reading Atul Gawande's" Checklist Manifesto", and finding it insightful (though a little repetitive- it could probably have been a magazine article instead of a full length book. I like stories of the horrors of the OR so I'm personally okay with the extra anecdotes). I'm thinking about implementing the concepts in the book to increase efficacy around the house and in some other projects. The Acton community may find this book useful; if anyone else reads it, I'd be interesting in hearing your thoughts. <div><br /></div><div>On a similar note, would anyone be interested in forming an unofficial, informal Acton Parents book group, perhaps starting in August or September? </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330796366565331500.post-82891952145231002062010-06-11T12:30:00.000-07:002010-06-11T12:31:58.631-07:00Things We Like:What Happens When Children Build Their Own Three-Story Playgrounds?"studies point to the tendency for children to adjust their actions given the relative danger of a situation. If the perceived risk is high, children will naturally be more careful or wary of their actions and movements."<br /><br />http://publicworkshop.us/?p=194Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14529383542145488293noreply@blogger.com0