Links and links and links

When I come across a good link, I drop it into a "links for blog" sticky note on my desktop -- and every once in a while, I push the list out to you, dear readers! So, without further ado, here's some reading for the new year, with a specific focus on topics that are already in discussion and action at TBS.

If I could go back in time, I'd become a neuroscientist! Here's Dan Siegel with a great explanation of how the brain works.

Don't miss Ramsey Musallam's great TED talk on sparking learning. I really like what he says about curiosity and the fundamental role that curiosity and inquiry play in learning, and in the relationship between teachers and students.

Want to be happier but need some pragmatic advice on what to do? The Huffington Post has answers backed by brain science! These echo many of John Medina's Brain Rules (this is a must-read!), but there are some interesting and important differences. I especially like #9.

Denise Pope at Stanford is one of the foremost researchers on what causes students stress (and by that I mean the bad kind of stress, not the good kind). In her recent book, she advocates no grades and authentic assessment. Hallelujah!

Speaking of assessment, here's an interesting idea about teacher evaluation.

Please, parents: don't ever say "I'm bad at math" to your children! Thanks to Julia Schaletzky for this link.

A public school in Sheboygan, WI has begun using mixed 4th/5th grade classrooms. They've recognized the benefits of a developmental mix and the deep student/teacher relationships that can form in multi-year classrooms.

Students need to learn how they learn in order to be their most effective. That's why critical thinking and metacognition are emphasized in our program.

This article on nature journaling echoes an element of our elementary program, especially at the 4/5 level, where students do "spot writing" by returning to the same spot in Strawberry Creek throughout the year to write and draw how the landscape changes.

In case you skipped the link above with the 10 ways to increase your happiness, here's a hint: children can learn to direct and maintain their focus with specific types of mental training.

So much of the discussion of the Common Core curriculum levels process attacks (not inclusive, says the left; too intrusive on local control, says the right; just right, says Arne Duncan). Here's one of the more thoughtful critiques I've read, and I especially appreciate that the author has proposed solutions as well. While I'm at it, let me add that we've attempted to address an over-emphasis on informational text and not enough literature in the new standards by adding in genre and author studies through all grades.

Important news for parents: if you want your child to improve his/her self-regulation, spend some time listening. Then ask him/her about the Zones of Regulation, which we implement K-5!

Here's a great reflection on a teacher wrestling with the utility and reality of homework.

This is a nice blog on one teacher's attempts to differentiate instruction in kindergarten.

Part blog, part store, Creative Star Learning has great resources for generating academic learning in outdoor settings.

We'll end with a little bit of serious fun: