4 for Friday [December 13, 2013]
/(4 for Friday posts contain four things that caught my attention this week and I feel are worthy of yours.)
- Age of Distraction: Why It’s Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus | MindShift
Please read this. It describes the necessity of teaching our students how to focus. I think focus and attention are quickly becoming more and more valuable. This is important stuff.
- What You Need to Know About the International Test Scores | Diane Ravitch
I’m sure many of you are familiar with former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch. She writes about the errors and myths in all the hoopla surrounding the U.S. and test scores. It’s a good read.
- The Promise And Failure Of BYOD In Education — Chambers Daily
I never thought much about the downside of BYOD. My district follows this philosophy, but I didn’t deal with it much at the elementary level. This post makes a lot of sense, though.
- Instapaper on the App Store
This is one of my all-time favorite apps. It’s one of the original read-it-later services. The iOS apps are beautiful. The best thing—it’s FREE this week! It’s regularly $3.99.
I like that it’s a paid app because I know it’ll probably stick around. I like being a customer instead of a commodity when possible. Grab it while it’s the free app of the week.