Temple University neuroscientist Laurence Steinberg’s research has shown him that adolescent brains are primed for learning. The problem is, he claims, that most U.S. high schools are not challenging students enough during their adolescent years. As WQED in Pittsburgh reports, Steinberg has spent his career studying the adolescent brain’s development, and has discovered that it
READ MOREOver Christmas, Business Insider ran an interesting little story written by a young millennial woman turned off by dating apps. Her piece begins by describing a conversation she had about the topic with several friends. The direction of the conversation is rather revealing of today’s culture: “I made my usual comment about how dating apps
READ MOREWhen discussing technology, people too often fall into the habit of either uncritically praising it or unconditionally condemning it. There is a critical need for greater nuance in the dialogue about technology. Author and scholar Neil Postman can perhaps help with this nuance. He spent thirty years studying the history of technological change. Among the
READ MOREIf you’re going to focus on the liberal arts in college, you might as well do it right. St. John’s College in Annapolis and Santa Fe is one of those places where you can “do it right.” They offer a program that “immerses students in reading great books and in lively and unmediated conversation with
READ MOREEarlier this year, Breitbart news announced a startling figure: the number of homeschooled children in the U.S. rose 61.8% in the last decade. But according to a recent BBC report, the U.S. is not the only country seeing such a dramatic rise in homeschooling. In the last six years, the U.K. has experienced a 65%
READ MOREJohn Taylor Gatto is one of the biggest critics of the modern education system. He’s also someone who knows it intimately, having been a public school teacher in New York City for 26 years. In 1991, after receiving the New York State Teacher of the Year award, Gatto penned a famous letter for the Wall
READ MORESince Black Friday, we’ve been in peak-consumerism mode. It probably won’t end until after New Year’s Day. Ironically, while Thanksgiving and Christmas are rooted in Christian tradition and outlook, there is little left of Christianity’s influence on those holidays. These days, Thanksgiving is less about giving thanks to the Almighty and more about preparing for
READ MOREReading a book for the first time is seen by many in our society as a badge of honor and a legitimate cause for boasting. Rereading a book, on the other hand, doesn’t usually come with the same pride or pack the same awe-inspiring punch in others. Nevertheless, according to Christopher Nelson, President of
READ MOREWill and Ariel Durant spent fifty years of their lives working on their magisterial Story of Civilization, a sweeping 11-volume survey of human history written in beautiful prose. After completing it, they compiled their historical insights in a book titled The Lessons of History. Among the gems in it is the
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