D.C. Area Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
NYT article re: assessing character as well as academics
Gah! There are so many interesting points this article makes - I'd already heard about the "grit" factor, and the test given to West Point students - and I'm familiar with the KIPP schools - and well, my career is in arts education, so when folks talk about authentically measuring anything beyond standardized test subjects I stand up and take notice.
Just a fun read if you are an educator, well, and if you're a parent too - on the very last page of the article it brings it on home for parents.
Not saying I buy into it all or don't (still working it through my brain) but just fun to think about:
Wife, Musician, Fed, WW-er, and Mom of three little kids - not necessarily in that order.
Re: NYT article re: assessing character as well as academics
Dear Arts,
I haven't read it all (Imma have to print it out), but it had some points that were covered in the book NurtureShock, which I am really enjoying. Like you, I don't buy into it all, but interesting approaches.
Shocked,
kewliegirl
I skimmed it... very interesting.
I think character traits are really important.
The thing that struck me is the ability to "grade" them, and "teach" them. I think for some of these things, you've either got it, or you don't.
I think there should be more emphasis on individual strengths and weaknesses. Should someone have to fake "zest" if they're just not excited? Maybe that kid should be encouraged to rely more on other traits that are more inherent to them... like patience, or tenacity, or whatever.
I just skimmed the article.
I will say that I tested "gifted" in elementary school. and that i always got really good grades. however, at my core, i am lazy. i did well in school b/c i can easily pick up patterns & have enough of a photographic memory that if i look at notes before an exam, I can 'see' them long enough to finish the exam.
Meanwhile, I'm a PhD dropout where some of my solidly-C-average friends are in medical school and thriving. Sure, they got mostly Cs in high school, but they worked *hard* for those Cs or Bs. And that work ethic is really paying off for them whereas my tactic really doesn't do me any good.
I have often wished that I was a harder worker...even if that meant being less smart. I also wish I was naturally curious. Aside from plants and food, I don't really seek out information. blah.
I'm lazy too. That's where "clever," "fast," and "resourceful" can compensate. lolol.
LOL. My cleverness, fastness nor resourcefulness cannot overcome my laziness (note: I'm supposed to be doing HW right now. Or housework. Yet, here I am! will pick up kiddo soon & he will of course make doing both those impossible or infinitely more difficult. see? lazy.)
You just summed up my experience as a student. I think it is really important for my kids to be challenged in school so they don't coast like I did. I will be *that* mom ensuring they are .
It's funny that so many of us are smart but lazy and we spend so much time on internet message boards :-)
DH is smart and a hard worker, and he is an amazing high achiever. I am smart and lazy, and have done pretty well for myself, but have some pretty big flops (I didn't handle being the small fish in the big pond too well, lol). Like ch ch chia said, I get by on clever and resourceful. I hope LO takes after DH and gets the hard worker gene.
ETA - I just went onto the University of Pennsylvania Authentic Happiness site and took the Grit Survey. Very interesting.
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter.aspx
My grit score is 4.
3 on grit & 3.42 on happiness. i have a feeling my happiness score will increase when I'm done with school and have a job, though!
Sprout is already showing, according to my mom, a lot more curiosity than i ever did as a child. Here's to hoping he too takes after his dad!
Just did happiness - 3.83. Which sounds right.
Mostly I'm fascinated how my kids will end up, and what I can do as a parent to shape that - I hope they end up with grit, happiness, zest - all of it! Too much to realistically expect, but I can still hope, right?
I haven't read this yet (just barely skimmed the first 2 pages), but I will be so thanks for posting.
So far it makes me think of a conversation I had with Otto regarding our hopefully-someday hypothetical child(ren) and education. I told him I'm not at all interested in private schools nor will I freak out if they decide not to go to college right away (or at all). I may be naive since I'm still spawnless, but I'd like to think that if our kid(s) are encouraged to do what they love and put conscious effort/hard work toward their goals (which may or may not include some kind of further study), they can achieve a "good" life whether or not they have a stellar education.