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[npr]

Why can’t kids today just work their way through college the way earlier generations did?

The answer to that question isn’t psychology. It’s math. A summer job just doesn’t have the purchasing power it used to, especially when you compare it with the cost of college.

Let’s take the example of a working-class student at a four-year public university who’s getting no help from Mom and Dad. In 1981-‘82, the average full cost to attend was $2,870. That’s for tuition, fees and room and board.

The maximum Pell Grant award back then for free tuition help from the government was $1,800. That leaves our hypothetical student on the hook for just about $1,000. Add in a little pocket money, too — say $35 a week. That makes an extra $1,820 for the year on top of the $1,000 tuition shortfall.

Now, $3.35 an hour was the minimum wage back then. So, making $2,870 meant working 842 hours. That’s 16 hours a week year-round — a decent part-time job. It’s also about nine hours a day for three straight months — a full-time, seven-day-a-week summer job. Or, more likely, a combination of both. In short: not impossible. Far from it.

For today’s public university student, though, the numbers have all changed in the wrong direction.

Why Summer Jobs Don’t Pay

Illustration: Michelle Kondrich for NPR

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Summer jobs = not much. 

[desrocheswnpr]

The Key to Raising a Brilliant Child? Keep Them Asking Questions, Science Says

Questions have been a powerful force for a really long time. It’s what led to the Enlightenment, to the growth of reason and scientific thought, to the current changes taking place among schools that are focusing more on mastery of skills instead of fact regurgitation. It’s also the foundation of critical thinking, and in the increasingly polarized climate of the United States, it’s hard to argue the benefits of questioning everything. 

Over at NPR, Anya Kamenetz from Education Team had a chance to interview  Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff, who wrote a book called, “Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children”. 

"What we do with little kids today will matter in 20 years," Hirsh-Pasek told NPR. "If you don't get it right, you will have an unlivable environment. That's the crisis I see."

The authors talk about what they call the “six C's”: collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation and confidence. Here’s a snippet of the interview (the bold italics is Kamenetz): 

Golinkoff: So, if you're going to have a kid who engages in critical thinking, you're not going to shut them down when they ask a question. You're not going to settle for "because." You're going to encourage them to ask more. And you want them to understand how other people think.

If you see a homeless person in the street: What do you think that person is thinking? How do you think they feel about not having a home?

Get someone else's point of view activated to help them recognize that things are not always what they appear. That's going to help them understand critical thinking.

OK, so that helps me understand how these skills are all interrelated. Perspective-taking, which I think of as a component of empathy, you're saying is also foundational for critical thinking.

Hirsh-Pasek: Yes, theory of mind is important to be able to do critical thinking.

So if a kid asks you why the sky is blue, it’s probably a good idea to not say “just because,” or even to explain the actual reason. Getting them to discover it on their own could be the key to their future. 

(Photo via http://austinsirkin.tumblr.com) 

[bibliolectors]

Evolución del libro (ilustración de Dave Cutler)

[dictionarycomblr]

Evolution defined: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/evolution?s=t

[desrocheswnpr]

Evolution and devolution at the same time?

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Dr. Seuss Invented the Word ‘Nerd’. Word. But it Didn’t Mean What You Think it Means.

From Dictionary.com: 

The slang term nerd means an intelligent but single-minded person, obsessed with a certain hobby or pursuit, e.g. a computer nerd. But the word that has been the bane of so many elementary schooler's existence was actually invented by their king: none other than Dr. Seuss himself! 

The word first appeared in print in Seuss's 1950 picture book, If I Ran the Zoo, though Seuss's 'nerd' is a small animal from the land of Ka-Troo, not a pale kid with glasses taped together. 

But how did the word go from how Dr. Seuss used it to its modern day connotation? Well Wikipedia has a few theories. The one I like is how oral legend at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute holds that the word “nerd” is “derived from "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backward), which was used to describe people who studied rather than partied.”

Neologisms. Where would English be without them?

[teded]

Microbial communities provide humans and other species with tangible and sometimes even delicious benefits. Microbes make up a major fraction of the biomass on Earth and play a critical role within the global ecosystem that supports all larger organisms, including us. They produce much of the oxygen we breathe, and are recruited to clean up environmental pollution like oil spills, or to treat our wastewater. Not to mention, biofilms are normal and flavor-enhancing parts of many of the foods we enjoy, including cheese, salami and Kombucha.

Bon appetit!

From the TED-Ed Lesson The microbial jungles all over the place (and you) - Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

Animation by Qa'ed Mai

[desrocheswnpr]

Microbes! Very cool. -- David

[culturenlifestyle]

Intricate Geometric Designs are Drawn With Wooden Drawing Machine

Inspired by vintage 19th century drawing machines, like the Spirograph, the Cycloid Drawing Machine composes intricate geometric designs in a limited space. With the use of no electricity or motor, the equipment comes with a base, three geared turntables, 18 gears, colored pens and test paper for customization.

Keep reading

[desrocheswnpr]

Cool! 

[givology]

How Children are Changing Our World Through Peace

Syrian refugees and Lebanese children learn to express themselves and connect through the innovative project 'Yallah Peace'. "I used to feel..." Leyla pauses, struggling for words as the other ch...

Children have the potential to change the world and make it a more peaceful place. Invest in children around the world with Givology.

[desrocheswnpr]

Love this! 

[desrocheswnpr]

Video Game Lets Players Invent Magic Spells Through Coding

Computer coding has become so popular in education circles that there’s even a video game that lets players code spells throughout the game to create distinct experiences.

The game CodeSpells is currently slated to be released this summer. It’s an “early access game,” which means that players can interface with it as is, and the game developers will use those interactions to hone the final product. 

From the game’s creators: 

“Our goal with CodeSpells is to give players as much freedom as possible. With that comes the difficulty of having to invent systems and tools that have never been tried before. Because of that, we want to be able to get feedback at every step.

Here’s some more from Cnet.com: 

The game will offer complete freedom for spellcasting in an open world, with five elemental powers (earth, water, air and fire, each with its own mana bar, and the fifth, life) that you can put together in any combination you desire to create the spells you want. Newcomers can learn by coding "pre-made" spells, using a drag-and-drop language that smooths the learning process, while more advanced users can experiment with writing their own.

The world itself will be procedurally generated, with levels that change over time as you cast your spells on the map. Areas, also, will act more or less the same way they do in the real world; fire will catch on flammable materials, water will flow to the lowest point, altitude will have an effect on the weather, vegetation will grow around water. You can play in these environments, levelling up as your experience grows.

At least four states have passed laws to allow schools to teach computer coding instead of teaching students a foreign language. Perhaps coding games could be part of this process. 

(Story idea by Patrick Skahill. Middle image is a screenshot from the game, CodeSpells) 

[desrocheswnpr]

Gender-Neutral Ethos Popping Up in Journalism And Schools

Two major newspapers have used, or are using, gender neutral terms to describe certain people or situations. The Washington Post announced recently some style changes, including the use of “they” and “their” as gender-neutral singular pronouns. 

Here’s Post copy editor Bill Walsh explaining his decision:

What finally pushed me from acceptance to action on gender-neutral pronouns was the increasing visibility of gender-neutral people. The Post has run at least one profile of a person who identifies as neither male nor female and specifically requests they and the like instead of he or she. Trans and genderqueer awareness will raise difficult questions down the road, with some people requesting newly invented or even individually made-up pronouns.

The New York Times recently ran a story referring to a person with the courtesy title of Mx., though a Times editor says that this was a one-time use and not an adoption of a new style. Here’s how it appeared in the paper:

“Are we anarchist?” Senia Hardwick asked. “Technically, yes.” Mx. Hardwick, 27, who prefers not to be assigned a gender — and also insists on the gender-neutral Mx. in place of Ms. or Mr. — is a staff member at Bluestockings, a bookshop and activist center at 172 Allen Street on the Lower East Side. Mx. Hardwick was explaining that the ethos of Bluestockings, which is run by a collective of volunteers, is difficult to classify. But if you must: “Anarchist is O.K.”

Some schools are also starting to conform to gender neutrality. Miraloma Elementary School in San Francisco created a few gender-neutral restrooms to accommodate about eight students who don’t identify with traditional gender norms, according to Today:

"You want to make sure every kid feels safe and secure and happy,'' Miraloma Elementary PTA president Ellen Shatz told Joe Fryer on Today Friday. "So I would hope this is the wave of the future."

The change has only been made for bathrooms used by students in kindergarten and first grade, where the bathroom has a single stall that can only be used by one kid at a time.

There’s also a preschool in Sweden that’s created gender neutral bathrooms. But they’ve taken it a step further. According to the BBC, the school’s books don’t contain traditional gender examples, and they toys are not segregated. The dolls and trucks lie side-by-side, encouraging children to pick what lures them, rather than what they’re expected to pick. 

Critics have pointed out that this might be confusing to children, especially at a young age. Supporters posit that they’re not arguing against the biological gender, or sex, of each child, but rather the sociological idea of gender, and the expectations that come along with it. 

Sweden has been on the forefront of gender-neutral issues. They even include this idea in its national curriculum: 

Swedish pre-school emphasizes the importance of play in a child’s development, with a curriculum aiming to ensure children’s individual needs and interests. Gender-aware education is increasingly common, striving to provide children with the same opportunities in life regardless of gender.

This emerging topic comes with a lot of unexplored areas. Could students take advantage of gender-neutral bathrooms? Could it lead to sexual assaults, or harassment? Many colleges have created gender-neutral dorms, and I’ve blogged about this before. 

A change of this magnitude would take generations to take shape in any meaningful way. In many ways it makes sense -- girls are indoctrinated to conform, to be demure, to be proper, while boys are encouraged to be rowdy and dominant. This carries on into adulthood. Lots to discuss here, and I look forward to seeing how it unfolds, and how researchers dig into all the ins and outs of such a complex and deeply-rooted social phenomenon. 

(Creative Commons image via Flickr.com)

[thebeakerblog]

Why Do We Get Goose Bumps?

The human body is filled with crucial links to our evolutionary past. The tiny bones in our ear that help us hear, the joints in our legs and arms that help us walk and, the pimples that form on our flesh when we’re cold or scared that … well, what do they do? 

In humans, not much. At least anymore. But goose flesh, or “piloerection” as biologists say, is still a very functional threat response in mammals like sea otters and porcupines. 

When under threat from predators, both can raise their body’s hair (or quills) and look more intimidating. Such a stress response has also been observed in mice, cats, and tamarin monkeys.

But how do goose bumps form? And why to humans still get them? 

In us, goose bumps happen when tiny involuntary muscles (called arrector pili) at the base of each human hair contract, making the hairs stand erect. In short, the persistence of this reaction is an evolutionary artifact – a relic (rekindled during periods of intense stress or emotion) that links back to a time when our ancestors’ bodies were covered with more fur. 

In addition to stress response and emotion, goose bumps also pop up when it’s cold. That’s because in our fellow furred mammals, goose flesh can help increase the efficiency of insulation. When it’s cold, muscles contract, hair is pulled erect, and the area of vertical insulation between skin to cold air is fortified by a now taller layer of hair.

(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Source: Wikimedia Commons, Scientific American, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) 

[desrocheswnpr]

Lizard skin! 

[malinchristersson]

Area of a circle

Interactive version:

http://www.malinc.se/math/geometry/circleen.php

[desrocheswnpr]

Cool.

[teded]

Today, the treadmill is one of the most common ways to get in your weekly workout, but did you know that in the 1800s, treadmills were created to punish English prisoners?

The original version was invented in 1818 by English engineer Sir William Cubitt. While the prisoners stepped on 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel, the rotation made gears pump out water,  crush grain, or power mills, which is where the name “treadmill” originated.

Watch the dark and twisted history of the treadmill: The treadmill’s dark and twisted past - Conor Heffernan

Animation by Yukai Du

[desrocheswnpr]

I would like to be able to crush grain in this way. Kind of. Actually maybe not at all. 

[desrocheswnpr]

Iowa Man Runs For School Board Unopposed, Gets No Votes, Even From Himself

If democracies are run based on electing representatives through voting, what happens when absolutely nobody votes? 

This is what happened in a small town in Iowa, when a man ran for the school board, unopposed, but got zero votes. 

Randy Richardson was running for the Riceville Board of Education, but was too busy to vote himself, according to the Mason City Globe Gazette.

Only 36 people voted in the entire school board election. The district represents just over 600 residents. The board will appoint someone to the seat or hold a special election, the Gazette reports. 

I wonder what would happen if nobody voted in a major presidential election. Would the sitting president preside? The VP? The Speaker of the House? I’m not whiz on the Constitution, but I don’t think there’s a provision in there to cover that one. 

Then again, maybe that’s what this country needs. Absolute apathy. Maybe that would show politicians that we’re tired of this partisan dog and pony show that caters to special interests and objectifies the middle class. No vote 2016! 

[desrocheswnpr]

Study Says Smartphones Impede Learning For New Users

If you’re headed to college and you’ve never used a smartphone before, it might not be a good idea to start.

A new study out of Rice University found that after a year of using smartphones for the first time, people reported that the smartphone had a negative impact on their learning. Participants told the study’s authors that they thought the smartphone would improve their ability to learn, but it turns out the phones had the opposite effect. 

It involved students at a research university in Texas. Here’s how Futurity.org  explains it: 

Prior to the study, the participants were given no training on smartphone use and were asked to answer several questions about how they thought a smartphone would impact their school-related tasks. The students then received iPhones, and their phone use was monitored during the following year. At the end of the study, the students answered the same questions.

Most of the answers students gave showed the smartphone hurt their learning. But as study author and psychology professor Philip Kortum notes, the study does not examine the intentional use of smartphones in the classroom. It only looks at peripheral use. 

The study has a few holes that might be worth considering in future explorations on this subject. First of all, it only looked at 24 kids. And there’s no breakdown of gender or socio-economic status, so it’s hard to know what other factors might have played out as these students went about their lives for a year. 

There was also no control in this experiment. There were no comparisons to kids who had already been using smartphones for some time, or comparison to kids who had used smartphones for a while, and then it was taken away for a year. 

Certainly the smartphone as a distraction does nobody any good, and I wonder if the purpose of this study was simply to show what most people already believe to be true, intuitively. There’s a lot more to study and figure out before we start scrapping smartphones in the classroom. 

(Creative Commons image via Flickr)

[diy]

5 Ways To Stay Curious This Summer

Schools out– but that doesn’t mean that learning won’t resume until the fall. Here are 5 ways to keep learning this summer: 

1. Make a Telescope: Making a telescope is a great way to learn about the different kinds of lenses and astronomy. Take a closer look at what’s going on in the distance.

2. Demonstrate Capillary Action: Use food coloring to see how plants get the water and nutrients they need in this cool and beautiful process.

3. Map the Past: Examine maps to learn about the history of your town. Make a map that shows how the place changed over time.

4. Make a Still Life Painting: Still life paintings are the best way to improve your knowledge of light and shadows in painting. Start with simple geometrical objects and work your way up to more complicated things.

5. Construct a Pocket Amplifier: By making a pocket amp you can learn how to solder, how to create a working circuit and how speakers work. In the end, you’ll get a super cool gadget to carry around.

Learn something awesome this summer! 

[diy]

Turn screen time into learning time with fantastic online camps for kids at DIY.org

by Cool Mom Tech

We’re in those final weeks of school before summer break, which means my kids and I need to figure out how they’re going to occupy themselves and keep their brains and hands active. Turns out I’m getting some great ideas from the online camps at DIY.org.

While we were all a little skeptical about the idea of camp that doesn’t actually get kids outside doing, you know, camp stuff, maybe you want to reframe this more like awesome four-week courses that can help fill in the days.

Four-week sessions focus on a topic like filmmaking, comic books, toy hacks, and Minecraft. Using the iOS app, kids can view video instructions and challenges that are posted by their counselor, post their own creations, and interact with other kids for feedback and fun. Plus they can work on their own time, so it might be a cool option after the kids get home from actual camp or other activities, and could use a little downtime on the computer with the A/C blasting.

My 10 year-old joined the Minecraft Adventure camp, and she is definitely getting a kick out of it. Her counselor is hilarious, and he’s been great at engaging the kids and responding to their questions and concerns. There’s always something new to greet her on the app each day, which means I never once hear I’m bored — two words every parent dreads.

Each session of camp is $39, but you can try your first camp for only $10, which I think is pretty awesome, considering how great our experience has been so far. The DIY app is free, but it does require iOS 8.1 or higher. That means unfortunately it’s not an option for Android users. (Read more)

Check out the online camps!:

LEGO Master Camp

Movie Maker Camp

Minecraft Architecture Camp

Doodle-a-Day Camp

Drawing-a-Day Camp

Music Inventor Camp

Outdoor Adventure Camp

Zombie Survival Camp

Stop Motion Camp

Comic Book Camp

Book Maker Camp

[desrocheswnpr]

Machine Learning Is a Thing; But What Is This Thing?

Deep

We might be closer to living in an Isaac Assimov novel than we might think. 

Machines can now learn -- ever notice how Facebook an identify faces when you upload a photo? That’s Facebook’s Deep Face algorithm at work. It’s pretty amazing, really, and a bit scary at the same time. It’s an intelligence agency’s dream come true. 

The Economist notes that there are many kinds of machine learning: 

But the one that is grabbing headlines at the moment is called "deep learning". It uses neural networks—simple computer simulations of how biological neurons behave—to extract rules and patterns from sets of data. Show a neural network enough pictures of cats, for instance, or have it listen to enough German speech, and it will be able to tell you if a picture or sound recording it has never seen before is a cat, or in German.

The problem with machine learning, is that it currently can only recognize patterns. Even though computers have mastered some skills better than human beings ever could, they are still years away from being able to show emotions. 

It’s interesting to consider how machines learn now, and compare it to how people learn. If anything we can become deeper learners by observing the strengths and weaknesses of machine learning. 

As long as Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t show up on a Harley with glowing red eyes. 

(Photo by Alejandro Zorrilal Cruz [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)