Education/Schools

Here's a good old fashion how-to project for making borax crystal decorations. The activity provides some good clean fun with an educational twist that's sure to impress your kids and get them wondering how it's done. Not only will these shimmer-shiny babies enhance the holiday atmosphere of your home but when you reveal the scientific "magic" behind the crystal mystery it's sure to secure your position as smartest person on the planet for a little longer. And who doesn't want that?

A recent Newsweek article titled "Struggling School-Age Boys" discusses concerns over the growing epidemic of boys failing to succeed in school and the problems being caused that are plaguing families because of it.

The Gaming Krib's innovative portal software/hardware includes a whole new learning paradigm which begins this fall/winter 08’ for more than 3 million parents, children and educators. For the first time, an internet-based and electronic (hardware based interaction) way to balance a child's learning and social needs, via the cell phone, TV and Internet.

Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing.com reviews John Holt's "How Children Fail," the companion book to "How Children Learn."

Cory blogs:

Earlier this week, I blogged a review of John Holt's classic book on "unschooling," "How Children Learn," promising that my next read would be the companion volume, How Children Fail, a book that's really about how teachers fail students.

A recent Wall Street Journal article by Nat Hentoff "These Little Kids Think Coltrane is Cool" shares the story of a second grade class from Holliswood School, P.S. 178 in Jamaica Estates, Queens given an education in music and are moved by the music of jazz great John Coltrane.

Calling all bug enthusiasts! Cornell University needs your help locating and photographing ladybugs in your community as part of their Lost Ladybug Project. According to their site "Over the past twenty years several native ladybug species that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time several species of ladybugs from other places have greatly increased both their numbers and range. In many areas the native ladybugs are being replaced by exotic ones.