Do you remember writing school reports when you were, say, twelve? Do you remember your teachers harping on the evils of plagiarism? Was your response to do what I did and take lines from a book, switch out words, change their order and call them your own? I can’t blame twelve-year-old me. Despite all the [...]

I’m thrilled to have an article on The Innovative Educator today. I’m sharing it here too for you, my favorite readers. * * * Why Seth Godin and Other School Reformers Shouldn’t Dismiss Homeschooling Recently, author and changemaker Seth Godin published the e-book Stop Stealing Dreams, a manifesto on the future of education. It’s a [...]

It’s been a long time (like, um, a year), so here’s another writing ideas post. Finally. But first read the disclaimer and simply tuck this idea into your back pocket. It may not tickle your kids. Mr. T is an info-maniac. His favorite part of his beloved National Geographic Kids Magazine is the “Weird But True” [...]

On Twitter last night, I came across something fascinating, via Maria at Brainpickings. (Always a source of fascinating bits.) It was an amazing visualization of the interactions of characters in the Iliad, and how they change throughout the book, by Argentinian designer Santiago Ortiz. Do click here to view the stream in all its interactive [...]

It’s been a long while since I’ve written one of these what’s-got-me-worked-up posts. Finished knitting projects! Finally! Last year, sometime mid-summer, my knitting mojo got lost. But thankfully we were reunited in late fall, in time for me to dig out the sweater I’d started for my hubby, and to finish it in time for [...]

I’m reading Adam Gopnik again. This time it’s his new book, The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food. Gopnik on food and family! I’m reading it slowly, savoring it like it’s a little goat cheese crottin. Some of it is the deep-thinking Gopnik-ish stuff that has me skimming, feeling too dumb to [...]