What does it take to be a creative physicist? A successful philosopher? A psychologist? Does it take a special ability, an aptitude that can’t be taught? Or do you believe many people could accomplish those things, given time and effort? Does it matter? A recent study reported in Science suggests it might. Researchers Leslie, Cimpian, … Continue reading
It is a strange phenomenon when your early days become the stuff of antique stores and history books. I’m occasionally startled in antique stores to see toys from my childhood. And when I talk to young friends about their studies of the Viet Nam War or the Civil Rights movement, it is clear that those … Continue reading
It’s time again for hearts and chocolate, poetry and romance—or what passes for romance in elementary schools. Perhaps it’s because those of us in the north are anxious to think about anything other than snow, rather than any great educational import, but many school halls are full of valentines these days. And lots of older … Continue reading
It seems I haven’t been watching enough Saturday morning television. If I had, I would not just now be learning about The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, with Mo Rocca. Innovation Nation is billed as “a weekly celebration of the inventor’s spirit,” and is full of fascinating stories. Fortunately for all of us, the stories are … Continue reading
If you could meet anyone in your community, who would you pick? Joe Rhatigan encourages young people to explore that question in his book, People You Gotta Meet Before You Grow Up: Get to Know the Movers and Shakers, Heroes and Hotshots in Your Hometown. I’ll admit that one of my favorite things about this … Continue reading
How would you represent a great person’s life work in a single symbol? What single image could represent the contributions of Martin Luther King? Abraham Lincoln? Srinivasa Ramanujan? The artist using the pseudonym Hydrogene tackles that question, while also creating art work focusing on STEM education and technology across cultures. The most recent additions to … Continue reading
Arvind Gupta is one of those people every educator should know. Wonder why? Take a look. Gupta believes that children learn best by touching, feeling, cutting, sticking — pulling things apart, putting things together. And he’s devoted his career to providing children all over the work with the inspiration and tools to do so. And … Continue reading
It’s cold in Michigan. We’re expecting record-breaking low temperatures tonight and I just discovered a new gelato place a mile from my house. My husband and I love gelato, but I just can’t do it. So you can imagine how I chuckled reading Dan Meyer’s Frozen Code post. The post relates an actual frozen code … Continue reading
I love a book that sets me laughing in the aisles of a bookstore. Recently, I had that experience with Jay Sacher’s The Amazing Story Generator: Creates Thousands of Writing Prompts. The story generator’s pages are divided in thirds, to be mixed and matched at will. The top third sets up a situation like “Upon … Continue reading
Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s Disease? If you do, you’ll wish you lived across the street from this remarkable young man. 15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka followed in the footsteps of many great inventors when he looked at a problem near to his heart and was spurred to action. He is a fine example of real-world … Continue reading
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