Tag Archives: Education

In My Hands Today…

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The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years – Emily Oster

In The Family Firm , Brown professor of economics and mom of two Emily Oster offers a classic business school framework for data-driven parents to think more deliberately about the key issues of the elementary school, health, extracurricular activities, and more.

Unlike the hourly challenges of infant parenting, the big questions in this age come up less frequently. But we live with the consequences of our decisions for much longer. What’s the right kind of school and at what age should a particular kid start? How do you encourage a healthy diet? Should kids play a sport and how seriously? How do you think smartly about encouraging children’s independence? Along with these bigger questions, Oster investigates how to navigate the complexity of day-to-day family logistics.

Making these decisions is less about finding the specific answer and more about taking the right approach. Parents of this age are often still working in baby mode, which is to say, under stress and on the fly. That is a classic management problem, and Oster takes a page from her time as a business school professor at the University of Chicago to show us that thoughtful business process can help smooth out tough family decisions.

The Family Firm is a smart and winning guide to how to think clearly–and with less ambient stress–about the key decisions of the elementary school years.

Parenting is a full-time job. It’s time we start treating it like one.

In My Hands Today…

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Expect Great Things!: How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women – Vanda Krefft

A fun and fascinating social history of the famed Katharine Gibbs School, which from the 1910s to the 1960s, trained women for executive secretary positions but surreptitiously was instilling the self-confidence and strategic know-how necessary for them to claim equality, power, and authority in the wider world.

It’s a safe bet that most of the secretaries on the TV series Mad Men would have attended the Katharine Gibbs School in New York City. The iconic institution was in its heyday synonymous with supplying secretaries—always properly attired in heels, ladylike hats, and white gloves—to male executives. In Expect Great Things! Vanda Krefft turns the notion of a “Gibbs girl” on its head, showing us that while the school was getting women who could type 120 words per minute into the C-suite, its more subversive mission was to get them out of the secretarial pool to assume positions of power on the other side of the desk. And Gibbs graduates did just that, paving the way for 21st-century women to succeed in any profession they choose.

Katharine Gibbs was one her own success stories. She started her school when, as a 46-year-old widow, she was left near-broke with two young sons. The school taught typing and stenography but Gibbs also hired accomplished professors from elite colleges to teach academic subjects—it was a well-rounded education that produced early feminists ready to tackle the sexism of their era. “Expect great things!” was her motto and her philosophy. Within a decade she’d opened schools in three elegant locations. With nostalgic period photographs throughout, Expect Great Things! takes us back to Katie Gibbs’s life and tells the stories of the women she influenced. We meet Gibbs graduates who worked for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Howard Hughes, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe. Others forged pathfinding roles as an Emmy-winning television star, a women’s rights advisor to four U.S. presidents, a writer of Wonder Woman comic books, the head of the Women’s Marines, a best-selling young adult author, and a U.S. Ambassador.

In My Hands Today…

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Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning – James M. Lang

Employ cognitive theory in the classroom every day Research into how we learn has opened the door for utilizing cognitive theory to facilitate better student learning. But that’s easier said than done. Many books about cognitive theory introduce radical but impractical theories, failing to make the connection to the classroom.

In “Small Teaching” James Lang presents a strategy for improving student learning with a series of modest but powerful changes that make a big difference, many of which can be put into practice in a single class period. These strategies are designed to bridge the chasm between primary research and the classroom environment in a way that can be implemented by any faculty in any discipline, and even integrated into pre-existing teaching techniques. Learn, for example: How does one become good at retrieving knowledge from memory? How does making predictions now help us learn in the future? How do instructors instill fixed or growth mindsets in their students?

Each chapter introduces a basic concept in cognitive theory, explains when and how it should be employed, and provides firm examples of how the intervention has been or could be used in a variety of disciplines. Small teaching techniques include brief classroom or online learning activities, one-time interventions, and small modifications in course design or communication with students.

In My Hands Today…

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The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades – Judith C. Hochman, Natalie Wexler

The Writing Revolution (TWR) provides a clear method of instruction that you can use no matter what subject or grade level you teach. The model, also known as The Hochman Method, has demonstrated, over and over, that it can turn weak writers into strong communicators by focusing on specific techniques that match their needs and by providing them with targeted feedback.

Insurmountable as the challenges faced by many students may seem, The Writing Revolution can make a dramatic difference. And the method does more than improve writing skills. It also

Boost reading comprehension Improve organizational and study skills Enhance speaking abilities Develop analytical capabilities The Writing Revolution is as much a method of teaching content as it is a method of teaching writing. There’s no separate writing block and no separate writing curriculum. Instead, teachers of all subjects adapt the TWR strategies and activities to their current curriculum and weave them into their content instruction.

But perhaps what’s most revolutionary about the TWR method is that it takes the mystery out of learning to write well. It breaks the writing process down into manageable chunks and then has students practice the chunks they need, repeatedly, while also learning content.

The Bite-Sized Brain: How Short-Form Content Shapes Attention and Reading Habits

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In the past few months, I have seen my reading reduce, sometimes drastically. There have been times I have not read in days, so when the realisation hits, I make a conscious effort to carve time in my day to sit and read. This post is the result of the realisation of why I was not reading!

The rise of short-form content has revolutionised how we consume information and entertainment. Defined as brief, easily digestible pieces of content, whether text, video, or images, short-form content is designed for quick consumption, often lasting under a few minutes or containing fewer than 1,000 words. Examples include TikToks, Instagram Reels, Twitter posts, and short blog articles. While this format aligns with modern lifestyles and shorter attention spans, its growing influence raises questions about its impact on cognitive functions and reading abilities.

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Short-form content thrives in an era where attention spans are shrinking. According to psychologist Dr. Gloria Mark, the average time spent focusing on a single task has dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 75 seconds today. This decline is attributed to the constant barrage of digital stimuli that encourage multitasking and rapid information consumption.

Key psychological factors driving the popularity of short-form content include:

  • Instant Gratification: Short-form videos or posts provide immediate rewards through entertainment or information, triggering dopamine release in the brain.
  • Ease of Consumption: The brevity of short-form content makes it accessible during brief moments of downtime, such as waiting in line or commuting.
  • Engagement Through Novelty: Platforms like TikTok use algorithms to deliver personalised content that keeps users engaged by constantly offering fresh and relevant material.
  • Visual Appeal: The combination of dynamic visuals and sound enhances engagement and retention compared to text-heavy formats.

These factors make short-form content highly addictive but also raise concerns about its long-term effects on cognitive abilities.

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Impact on Cognitive Abilities

Attention Span: Numerous studies indicate that excessive consumption of short-form content negatively affects attention span. For example, a study by Asif and Kazi (2024) found weak negative correlations between time spent watching short videos and performance on tasks measuring selective attention. Another study using EEG data revealed diminished executive control in individuals prone to mobile phone short video addiction. This suggests that frequent exposure to short-form videos may impair the prefrontal cortex functions responsible for sustained attention. The rapid shifts in focus required to consume fragmented content train the brain to prioritise novelty over depth, making it harder to concentrate on longer tasks.

Memory: Short-form content’s fast-paced nature can also impact memory. Research by Chiossi et al. (2023) showed that the overconsumption of digital media reduces prospective memory (the ability to remember future tasks) due to frequent context-switching. While short videos can encapsulate complex concepts effectively, their fleeting nature often leads to shallow processing, which hinders long-term retention. These findings suggest that while short-form content is engaging, it may come at the cost of deeper cognitive processing.

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Effects on Reading Ability

  • Decline in Deep Reading Skills: The shift from traditional long-form reading to consuming bite-sized information has altered how we process written material.
  • Surface-Level Reading: Short-form texts encourage skimming rather than deep reading. Readers often focus on keywords or headlines without engaging with the full context.
  • Reduced Patience for Complexity: Exposure to concise formats may diminish readers’ ability to tackle lengthy or complex texts, as they become accustomed to instant answers.

Despite these concerns, short-form content can enhance certain aspects of reading ability:

  • Improved Accessibility: Short blog posts or infographics make information more accessible to readers with limited time or lower literacy levels.
  • Enhanced Engagement: Dynamic formats like animated videos can boost interest in reading by appealingly presenting material. For instance, studies have shown that using short videos in educational settings improves students’ comprehension of narrative texts.

Thus, while short-form content poses challenges for deep reading skills, it also offers opportunities for creative learning approaches.

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The Role of Dopamine in Short-Form Content Consumption
The addictive nature of short-form content can be explained by its impact on the brain’s reward system. Each new piece of content delivers a burst of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. Over time, this creates a feedback loop where users crave more frequent rewards.

However, this constant stimulation comes at a cost:
Desensitisation: Prolonged exposure reduces sensitivity to dopamine, requiring increasingly novel stimuli to achieve the same level of satisfaction.
Impaired Self-Control: Studies have linked the excessive use of platforms like TikTok with diminished self-regulation abilities.

These neurological changes underscore the need for mindful consumption practices.

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Educational Implications
Short-form content has both positive and negative implications for education. Benefits include encouraging independent learning by presenting material in an engaging format and offering diverse resources that cater to different learning styles. Challenges include requiring careful curation to ensure quality and relevance and the possibility of a hindrance in students’ ability to focus on extended readings or complex problem-solving tasks. Educators must strike a balance between leveraging short-form media’s potential and mitigating its drawbacks.

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Strategies for Balanced Consumption
To harness the benefits of short-form content while minimising its negative effects:
Set Time Limits: Allocate specific periods for consuming digital media to avoid overexposure.
Diversify Media Diets: Combine short-form content with long-form articles or books to maintain deep reading skills.
Practice Mindful Engagement: Reflect on the purpose behind consuming each piece of content rather than mindlessly scrolling.
Encourage Critical Thinking: Analyse the quality and credibility of information presented in concise formats.

By adopting these strategies, individuals can enjoy the advantages of short-form content without compromising cognitive health or reading abilities.

Short-form content is a double-edged sword: its brevity and accessibility make it ideal for modern lifestyles but also pose risks to attention span, memory, and deep reading skills. As this format continues to dominate digital media landscapes, it is crucial to understand its impact on the brain and develop strategies for balanced consumption. While further research is needed to explore long-term effects fully, fostering awareness among users can help mitigate potential downsides. By blending short-form media with traditional forms of learning and communication, we can create a more balanced approach that leverages the strengths of both formats.