How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

Paul Tough's "How Children Succeed" is pretty amazing. I'm early on in the book and Tough is talking about how early childhood trauma affects development of the frontal cortex. I keep thinking of how the career exploration process that can be so healing for students who have had trauma and find it difficult to control their impulses. Tough writes about a preschool that allows children to write their goals for play every morning. Career Guidance allows students an opportunity to create daily and long term goals, to explore, and consider who they are as learners.

Women in Technology

     After watching the 20 minutes of the Oscars I could actually stomach, I was so excited to see THIS.   It's an opportunity for women to share maker stories (much needed after Seth MacFarlane's misogyny, written about here by Amy Davidson, Senior Editor at the New Yorker). How wonderful for students to have an opportunity to see women in science and technology fields!!! A complete Documentary called "Makers: Women Who Make America" is also available to view. The maker movement provides so many opportunities for students to experience the how-to of contributing to our communities. Making and inventing is also what CTE teachers invite our students to DO!
     Next year, I am going to incorporate these videos into my teaching. If we can expose students to representations of women in tech industries and men in nurturing positions, we can really set the stage for all students to have greater opportunities. Also, I love the Tide and home product commercials recently that feature dads doing great work inside the home click here for the long version. It's actually funny!