Bored to distraction? Getting into the flow at Google

Bored to distraction? Getting into the flow at Google

Bored to distraction? No wonder I’m so distracted. No wonder we all are. The problem isn’t technology per se, but the expectations it has engendered: a steady stream of entertainment and stimulation. Or, as Bertrand Russell — who lived through the invention of electric lights, radio, and television — put it: “We are less bored than our ancestors were,…

Being creative requires more answers than what the data provides

Being creative requires more answers than what the data provides

So next time you’re faced with a “data-driven” scenario do this: instead of looking for the answers the data provides, look for the questions it generates. Source: If You Want to Be Creative, Don’t Be Data Driven – Microsoft Design – Medium Data always has its purpose and reason for being collected, but blindly doing…

Help students develop self-control with these 6 techniques

Help students develop self-control with these 6 techniques

Self-control is a very important skill to develop which is sometimes pretty difficult to learn. According to Laura Markham Ph.D. of Psychology Today1, “Only 30% of 4 year olds can manage their emotions, anxiety and impulses to resist temptation.” Why should that matter? I’m actually surprised that the number is as high as 30%!  

The lasting impact of bullying

The lasting impact of bullying

Researcher have found that bullying has a lasting impact on the bullied. “Students who experienced more frequent peer victimization in fifth grade were more likely to have greater symptoms of depression in seventh grade, and a greater likelihood of using alcohol, marijuana or tobacco in tenth grade,” said the study’s leader, Valerie Earnshaw, a social…

Resistance to automation is holding back a higher standard of living in the US

Resistance to automation is holding back a higher standard of living in the US

The onslaught of robots and automation on all sorts of careers is a topic I’ve talked about previously. I believe as educators we need to be aware of the world our students will be inheriting. But one journalist doesn’t believe automation is happening fast enough. Baffling because it’s starkly at odds with the evidence, and…

World’s ‘Lightest Satellite’ built by a teenager in India

World’s ‘Lightest Satellite’ built by a teenager in India

An Indian teenager has built what is thought could be the world’s lightest satellite, which will be launched at a Nasa facility in the US in June. Rifath Shaarook’s 64-gram (0.14 lb) device was selected as the winner in a youth design competition. The 18-year-old says its main purpose was to demonstrate the performance of…

Mental representations of math is important to understanding

Mental representations of math is important to understanding

How you view math and shown math relationships can affect your understanding of math. What does mathematics look like to you? Do you see a wondrous landscape filled with connected ideas, or a sprawling mess of symbols? The distinction matters a great deal, because your mathematical worldview is inextricably tied to your success in the…