History + Politics
W.E.B. Du Bois’s Inky Visualizations Teaches Us How Powerfully Humanizing Data Can Be
W.E.B. Du Bois’s Inky Visualizations Teaches Us How Powerfully Humanizing Data Can Be
For years now, I have occasionally seen 19th century data visualizations attributed to W.E.B. Du Bois. Always struck by them…
Nobody Tests Children As Much as the United States Does and That is a Problem
Nobody Tests Children As Much as the United States Does and That is a Problem
No other nation tests children as often as we do in the United States. And when you look at the…
Wish Granted: Here’s a 9 Minute Video Explaining What U.S. Schools can Learn from Other Countries
Wish Granted: Here’s a 9 Minute Video Explaining What U.S. Schools can Learn from Other Countries
It takes under ten minutes for Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond to explain what the United States can learn from the…
The Curious Case of New York State School Accountability Changes
The Curious Case of New York State School Accountability Changes
There are about 2.6 million students who attend schools in New York State. 1.1 million of those students are in…
Wax Poetic? You KNOW They Read and Wrote in Pompeii!
Wax Poetic? You KNOW They Read and Wrote in Pompeii!
This fresco from the 1st century depicts a holding both wax tablets and a stylus. Maybe it’s just me, but…
“Justice” Might Be the Word of the Year, but What if You Don’t Know How Your Own State Defines the Right to Education?
“Justice” Might Be the Word of the Year, but What if You Don’t Know How Your Own State Defines the Right to Education?
Merriam-Webster is the G.O.A.T., itself defining the meaning of “dictionary” for the 21st century. And when they announced the 2018…
Clearly There is a Preferred Place in Which to Watch this History of Toilets
Clearly There is a Preferred Place in Which to Watch this History of Toilets
There really is so much to learn in this world. This particular topic wasn’t on my list. Butt now it…
Is TV to Blame for Older People—Not Youth—Falling for Fake News? A Study Suggests Yes
Is TV to Blame for Older People—Not Youth—Falling for Fake News? A Study Suggests Yes
Now THIS is interesting. Could it be that unpacking fake news has a generational element to it we often gloss…
Gollum Reading Trump Tweets Isn’t Strictly Educational, But It Is Thoroughly Enjoyable
Gollum Reading Trump Tweets Isn’t Strictly Educational, But It Is Thoroughly Enjoyable
I take that back. There IS educational merit here. Every English teacher knows the value of theatrical readings of texts.…
What’s the Right Way to Teach Thanksgiving? Watch This and Decide for Yourself.
What’s the Right Way to Teach Thanksgiving? Watch This and Decide for Yourself.
This PBS report does a sound job in presenting the realities of trying to teach Thanksgiving in schools. Specifically, the…
Should We Be Teaching Students to Spot Fake News? After Watching This, I Suspect You Will Say YES.
Should We Be Teaching Students to Spot Fake News? After Watching This, I Suspect You Will Say YES.
My jaw dropped several times watching this. We hear the term “fake news” so often it can mask the subversive…
Vote (Even When Education is Not What Appears to Sway Voters, Yet)
Vote (Even When Education is Not What Appears to Sway Voters, Yet)
Civic education might be a hallmark of public education in the United States (in theory), but education is not the…
In Case There Was Any Doubt that Punctuation Is Political…This.
In Case There Was Any Doubt that Punctuation Is Political…This.
Watch how an 18th century typo radically impacted the way an entire nation came to understand one of its most…
Check it Out: Now I Know Why Carnegie Libraries All Look the Same
Check it Out: Now I Know Why Carnegie Libraries All Look the Same
You ever notice from like blocks away that a building coming up was one of those Carnegie libraries? They all…
Spend 5 Minutes Today to Learn About the Indigenous Peoples Whose Land You’re Standing On
Spend 5 Minutes Today to Learn About the Indigenous Peoples Whose Land You’re Standing On
Columbus Day is a loaded holiday for many families and children. Some are making a call to rename the holiday…
What Schools Can Learn from Lyft
What Schools Can Learn from Lyft
Lyft, the car-ride service, is putting their money where their values are. Ahead of the mid-terms elections, they are offering…