Down Time Enchances Childrens' Learning

Studies indicate that the learning process for children and young people may be facilitated by periods of "down time" such as recess or sports activities. Read the full article here.

The Fate of Newsapers?

The traditional business model of the newspaper business is in tatters. What will the newspaper "landscape" look like in the near future? The founder of the online magazine Slate offers some predictions in this essay.

How to Find Good Teachers

Here is a provocative article by Malcolm Gladwell that examines research suggesting an entirely new paradigm for selecting individuals who will be good teachers. It recommends doing away with the tenure system currently used in most of North America.

Whither the Liberal Arts Degree?

How useful or desirable is today's liberal arts degree as a de facto job qualification? The author of this article argues that employers and universities should deemphasize its importance

New York Times Book Review Best Books of 2008

Greetings Bibliophiles. The NY Times Book Review has released its list of 100 Notable Books and the 10 Best Books.
How many have you read?

What Will Obama Do About Education?

As if he won't have enough on his agenda, the new President will find himself in a struggle between two powerful opposing camps of educational philosophy and practice; "conservatives" represented by teachers' unions and "reformers" who promote changes like merit pay and charter schools. Conservative writer David Brooks offers a good article about the choices he will have to make. Unlike Canada, the U.S. Federal government has considerable influence upon education. However, since during times of national stress many eyes turn toward the education system, Ontario may well find itself facing a similar dichotomy of opinion.

Can Web-Browsing Keep Your Brain Young?

Studies at UCLA show some evidence that Internet searching activates more areas of the brain than ordinary text reading. There may be a link between increased brain activity of this kind and the reduction of brain decline through aging. At least it's a good excuse to keep surfing.