A few new online map applications could be great fun for older kids as well as adults: Wikisky is a detailed sky map with constellations, astronomical photos, and more. Try clicking the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) button (the leftmost blue button) to see galaxies galore, or click “Astro Photo” or “The Collection” to see
A quick idea for preschool amusement and learning: Take a metal cookie sheet or pizza pan, preferably with a small rim around the entire edge, and stick a number of fridge-magnet letters and numbers to it. It makes a great “tablet” for spelling and counting, especially during dinner prep when the fridge is unavailable for
My laptop experienced a fatal error yesterday that required a complete mindwipe and restore. Luckily, we have more computers than creatures in our house (even counting the cats), so it didn’t affect my blogging. Twice lucky, I’d just done a backup, so it didn’t affect my sanity. As I sat watching a repeat of last
My son is in the throes of pre-reading mania. He reads letters on everything from milk cartons to street signs to his vitamin tablets. He points to the words on a book cover and moves his finger along, saying the title. He’s not actually reading it yet; it doesn’t work if he doesn’t know the
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is sponsoring a national children’s art contest on the theme of “Things I Can Do To Keep Safe and Be Healthy.” They explain: The contest is open to children in two groups, grades 3-5 and 6-8. The winner in each group and their parents/guardians will be invited to attend
The Evesham School District of Marlton, New Jersey, eliminated a diversity film from its curriculum in early February after some parents protested its inclusion of same-sex families. (Here’s my original post on the matter, and a follow up, plus an excursus on same-sex families in the classroom.) The district has now formed a committee of
March is Women’s History Month, a chance to honor the achievements and experiences of women around the world. Instead of giving links to a handful of potted biographies, I’m going to share various quotes during the month about the role of women throughout history. The quotes are meant to show a variety of viewpoints, but
Parent-teacher associations (PTAs), historically known for bake sales and other social events in support of local schools, are becoming a driving force in large-scale fundraising, school administration, and even state politics, reports the New York Times: Parent groups across the country, especially in affluent suburbs, are undergoing a kind of corporate makeover, combining members’ business
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit of two couples in Lexington, Massachusetts, who claimed the local public school district violated their constitutional rights by teaching their children about families headed by same-sex parents. The judge said in his decision (PDF link): Public schools are entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals
(Minor spoilers below.) Shane is livin’ la vida loco parentis this week. Her nine-year-old brother Shay and his friend Jared got into a fight with some kids who teased them about their moms being gay. Shane goes with Jared’s mother Paige to meet with the school principal, and they argue that the school must teach
