Are You Smarter Than an 8th Grader?

NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristof's recent article "Are You Smarter Than an 8th Grader?" tells an interesting story on numeracy taught in our schools. He asks the following questions:

1) What is the sum of the three consecutive whole numbers with 2n as the middle number?     A. 6n+3  B. 6n  C. 6n-1  D. 6n-3

"More than three-quarters of South Korean kids answered correctly (it is B). Only 37 percent of American kids were correct, lagging their peers from Iran, Indonesia and Ghana.”

2) How many degrees does a minute hand of a clock turn through from 6:20 a.m. to 8 a.m. on the same day?

A. 680 degrees   B. 600 degrees   C. 540 degrees   D. 420 degrees

"Only 22 percent of American eighth-graders correctly answered B, below Palestinians, Turks and Armenians."

Kristof finishes his article with a logic puzzle. Be careful, this one may hurt your brain.

You’re in a dungeon with two doors. One leads to escape, the other to execution. There are only two other people in the room, one of whom always tells the truth, while the other always lies. You don’t know which is which, but they know that the other always lies or tells the truth. You can ask one of them one question, but, of course, you don’t know whether you’ll be speaking to the truth-teller or the liar. So what single question can you ask one of them that will enable you to figure out which door is which and make your escape?

Answer: "You ask either of them: 'If I asked the other person which door is the one to escape, which would he point to?' Then you take the other door."

Getting to Know David Brooks

Recently, I had the good fortune of hearing David Brooks speak at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH. His personal, thoughtful, and humorous style enthralled the nearly 500 people who gathered to hear him speak about his new book The Road to Character. He opened his remarks by talking about his family and the inspiration that came from his three children.

Here are several resources to help you get to know Brooks better.

• The NYTimes April 20 book review for The Road to Character. And it is no surprise that the book is now on the bestseller list.
• April 11 Sunday Review Op-Ed piece "The Moral Bucket List"
• An excellent April 13 npr interview "Take It From David Brooks: Career Success 'Doesn't Make You Happy' "

A Middle School Field Trip to Baltimore?

Students at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School discuss what they learned about Baltimore. (Eliso Rivera)

Read this wonderful article about what these middle schoolers are doing for their spring field trip. "A Field Trip to Baltimore" by Launa Schweizer is in The Atlantic.

Handshaking Sense

I remember when, for 20 years, I helped seventh and eighth grade students and their parents apply to secondary (aka high) schools. Part of that responsibility was spending time guiding students on executing what I thought was the perfect handshake . . . firm, not too firm; make eye contact; and present your best smile. I felt that this first-impression presentation was important when meeting admissions representatives from various independent, public, and parochial schools.

Fast forward a few years when I found myself listening to author and psychologist JoAnn Deak, Ph.D. speak to a group of parents and educators. She talked about a survey that was done on how college admissions officers could tell immediately from a handshake the students they wanted in their school. Deak then asked those assembled, “So, on a scale of one to ten—one being a limp-wrist handshake and ten being a ‘bone cruncher’ handshake—what handshake was the most impressive?” Audience guesses were anywhere from a four to a nine.

To everyone’s amazement, she said, “Nope. None of your predictions are correct.” She then went on to say that the most convincing handshake was a student who matched the admission officer’s handshake. The raised eyebrows and smiles on everyone’s face were acknowledgement that this really made sense. It certainly did for me.

I now tell everyone this story and practice the matching handshake technique every time I shake someone’s hand. It makes perfect handshaking sense.

Getting to Know TED Talks Better

TED Talks should be a staple for any educator and parent. Each 18 minute talk is filled with information that we all can use in our lives. Watch this 13-minute "60 Minutes" episode that aired last Sunday. It gives a great overview of the origins and concept for TED Talks.

"60 Minutes" Video - The lecture series has become one of the Internet's most powerful platforms -- spreading ideas through the stories of remarkable people

I admit it, I am addicted to TED Talks. Here is a link to my 50 favorite Talks.

Students Having Satisfaction With Physics

In the most recent Independent School magazine, "Getting Our Students to Own Their Educational Experience" by Raymond W. Cirmo caught my eye. For me, the more students take responsibility for their own education, the better. The treat that comes with this article is the video below. What a great non-traditional academic experience for Mr. Cirmo's physics class.

Supporting Students in a Connected World

When I wrote "Internet Abuse - Students in the Middle" for Independent School magazine back in 2002, little did I or others imagine a world connected the way it is today, especially for our students.

Now in 2015, I will be facilitating a discussion at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Manhattan next Saturday, April 18. "Supporting Students in a Connected World" has a great panel of experienced educators and professionals. Here is an excerpt from the website . . . 

"We are all struggling to figure out how we can help kids understand the cause and effect of their social media/internet use.  

What is appropriate to share online? What are the unintended consequences of kids making mistakes online? How has your school addressed these issues? What is the relationship between schools and parents with respect to responsibility and roles?

We invite you to join us for a panel of independent school administrators, mental health professionals, diversity practitioners and technology specialists for a lively and interactive exchange of case studies, ideas, information, experiences and curriculum. We are hoping these conversations will lead to ongoing opportunities for consulting and collaborating with each other as the need arises." Visit the website to learn more.

The Opposite of Spoiled

I was among 100 other participants gathered to hear Ron Lieber author of The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money speak this week about his book and teaching kids about money. He focused on the three jars of money kids need to think about—give, save, spend. My favorite part, though, was when he helped those present understand the differences between what children (and parents) NEED and what they WANT.

His down-to-earth advice was refreshing and reassuring.

Helping Children Appreciate Classical Music

Classical music with its beautiful melodies and enchanting stories is a perfect match for young ears and eyes. Take for instance, Tchaickovski's Nutcracker, and Mendelsshon's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and . . .

Well, here is a perfect way to introduce young people to classical music: flash mobs! See what I mean by clicking on these two classics, Bethooven's Ode to Joy and Ravel's Bolero.

Yet, what better way for children to appreciate classical music than by watching and hearing children playing Pachelbel's Cannon in D in their own flash mob. (You might have to rotate your laptop to enjoy this particular video, but it is worth it.)

College Admissions Madness

"How to Survive the College Admissions Madness" by Op-Ed NYTimes columnist Frank Bruni is a must-read for all parents—and not just those that have daughters and sons applying to college this year. Bruni's sensitive and realistic advice is a perfect elixir for anxious parents as they wait for the results of their child's college application results. Bruni delves further into this topic in his new book, Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. 

The best part in the article is a letter that a mother and father wrote to their son as he waited for his college admission decisions . . .

"Dear Matt,

On the night before you receive your first college response, we wanted to let you know that we could not be any prouder of you than we are today. Whether or not you get accepted does not determine how proud we are of everything you have accomplished and the wonderful person you have become. That will not change based on what admissions officers decide about your future. We will celebrate with joy wherever you get accepted — and the happier you are with those responses, the happier we will be. But your worth as a person, a student and our son is not diminished or influenced in the least by what these colleges have decided.

If it does not go your way, you’ll take a different route to get where you want. There is not a single college in this country that would not be lucky to have you, and you are capable of succeeding at any of them.

We love you as deep as the ocean, as high as the sky, all the way around the world and back again — and to wherever you are headed.

Mom and Dad"

We Know Jack Now

I first introduced my blog readers to Jack Andraka on December 12, 2014 upon the publication of my interview with him in Montessori Life. Today, I had the distinct honor of introducing Jack to over 3,000 educators at the American Montessori Society's Annual Conference.

If you were not there to hear Jack's wonderful story, get his book, Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator is Changing the World I know you will enjoy reading it just as I did.

Love Has No . . .

In case you missed this beautiful video on diversity and inclusion . . .