WHAM! BAM! ISLAM!, a documentary that follows Naif Al-Mutawa as he created THE 99, airs on PBS tonight. The documentary discusses the challenges that The 99 team is still facing in getting its comic off the ground and can be watched on PBS, or can be reserved on iTunes.
This great article in the New York Times illustrates the importance of occasional failure and the fortified character that it can build when accompanied by introspection. This story of two high school principles (one, of a privileged school in Riverdale, and the other from KIPP) and their quest for placing as much importance on character excellence and grit as academic excellence, is an inspiring one.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel
Daniel’s good friend pointed us towards an important cause: America is currently facing an education crisis, where 1/3 of current eighth grade students will not graduate college, and one of the biggest causes is that kids lack fundamental Algebra skills. Sylvan, a learning center for kids of all ages, has stepped up to the challenge with the Algebra Fitness Challenge, a free Algebra test that kids can take to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the subject. This tool hopes to begin to solve the extant algebra problem, and can be taken at Fit 4 Algebra.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel
Dr. Oz did extensive tests on apple juice and determined that about 60% of the apple juice found in US shelves comes from China and much of it is contaminated with arsenic.
That China has terrible safety food standards does not surprise me. That good ol’ American apple juice boxes for little kids come from China does, and scares me.
As a general rule, any toy or food product that comes from China concerns me for their lax standards with lead, etc. and I try to avoid my kids from coming in contact with it. But it is hard given how extensive Chinese penetration is across all consumer goods.
A few years ago some ‘happiness’ researchers contended that parents were actually less happy than couples without children because of the sorrows and headaches accompanied by raising children. I remember thinking that is the most ridiculous and superficial analysis I’ve ever read. Of course there are challenges. But they underline the exponential rewards.
Now comes a new analysis about what truly constitutes happiness in a well-rounded way. It debunks the equation of temporary moods or even positive attitudes with ‘happiness." These are of course interrelated, but so is meaning, a sense of accomplishment, engagement, etc.
The attached article shares some of the new thinking on measuring happiness. Some of these insights reminded me of the theme of the commencement speech I gave at Trinity University a couple weeks ago.
A recent article in the New York Times reports that food marketers are pitching their products to children via Web sites that critics say blur the line between activities and advertising.
A recent article in Baby Center illustrates the dangers of feeding children unhealthy foods, in contrast to favorable nutrition which fosters brain function growth and cognitive ability. Although unhealthy options may sometimes be the easier one choice, they are seemingly very problematic down the road.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel
This video, launched by Entrepreneur Magazine encapsulates some of the attributes that made KIND’s Daniel Lubetzky win the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and carries new meaning since the Award was announced. Among the key lessons: build a supportive environment for a super-star team, and use technology to simplify life, and food, rather than to complicate it.
Innovator – Kind Snacks from OC Creative Media on Vimeo.
by Adeena Schlussel
Although technology has countless benefits in our lives, there are more and more reports that suggest there is an accompanying negative effect on our brains and on our children’s development, as I have written in the past. A recent article in the New York Times paints a scary picture: some teens prefer the instant gratification of a YouTube video or a Facebook status update, to the enriching (albeit, delayed) gratification that one can glean from reading a book. Although children have always enjoyed distractions when it comes to work, technology has carried a whole new slew of tools with which to procrastinate with that prove to be increasingly dangerous.
By Adeena Schlussel on behalf of Daniel Lubetzky
A recent article in Haaretz tells that the PA has just adopted a textbook for school children that presumably depicts the shared historical narratives of both the Palestinians and Israeli Zionist Movements, in effort to promote co-existence through education. Israel, on the other hand has rejected this book from its curriculum. Vetting and implementing this textbook would be a beautiful step in furthering Israeli and Palestinian children’s comprehension of the conflict, and its origins and complexities, and would hopefully foster an understanding between children on opposing sides of the conflict. Let’s hope that Israel implements the book soon, and that both sides maintain the progressive sentiment that this effort reflects.