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Five Important, Meaningful Benefits of Education by Craig Middleton

Sunday, February 13th, 2022

Books
Five Important, Meaningful Benefits of Education by Craig Middleton will help students you know understand why education is important. While lessons from subjects like math and social studies may not relate directly to a student’s world this article explains why they nonetheless have meaningful personal value. Thanks, Craig

Though the importance of a good education is not lost on most people, there are still many who view an education, especially beyond basic academics, as a waste of time and resources. Education may appear as a requisite experience for children and young adults in order to satisfy societal requirements, parental expectations, or capitalist ideals, but schooling is a crucial part of a well-functioning society that consists of healthy, happy, and stable individuals.

Let’s take a look at a few of the ways that education benefits the people, families, and institutions of every community across the world.

1. Increased Opportunities

Do you want to better guarantee that you will land a high-paying job? Are you interested in developing skills and characteristics that will help you to succeed with your passions? Whether you hope to pursue a creative endeavor like photographer Ansel Adams or have your sights set on an ivy league education like Courtney Lanier Sarofim, a good education will equip you with the tools you need to make your dreams a reality.
Regardless of the path you take in life, it’s important to gain an education that will help you to accumulate the necessary skills and knowledge that will make you a standout candidate for any jobs, positions, and roles you seek in the future.

2. Sharper Cognitive Skills

While you may never use some of the math skills you develop in school when you reach adulthood, these practices help to develop the critical thinking and problem-solving parts of your brain that ease a variety of challenges and issues in your adult life. The stronger your critical thinking skills, the easier it is to make a sound, confident decision in the face of life’s problems.
Boosted cognitive skills also help you to be better at advocating for yourself and others in the future, as you’re more likely to take the time to better understand complex situations, provide proper data to support your choices, and make more informed judgments.

3. Better Global Awareness

In order to become a more compassionate, knowledgeable, and responsible citizen of the world, it’s vital to become aware of other cultures and historical events that have shaped the world to be what it is today.
This not only makes it easier to relate to others who may be different from you, but it also encourages a broadening of the values and goals you may have in your life as you explore new ways of viewing the world through the lens of other civilizations or communities.

4. Expanded Equality

Education functions as a uniting force for people from all walks of life. Everyone, regardless of age, sex, gender, religion, or orientation, deserves access to the same opportunities in the world.
A good education provides everyone with the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge to achieve their goals, but educated people are more likely to maintain an open mind and remain aware of societal issues that block or drive wedges between different social classes or groups of people. Educated individuals are often more likely to take measures in their own work or personal circles to ensure that everyone has an equal chance at a healthy, happy, and fulfilled life.

5. High Self-Esteem

School is challenging for everyone at one time or another. Overcoming challenges, even on basic levels, fuels your sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, which can help you to feel more confident and able to navigate difficult situations on your own in the future. Even in times of failure, the lessons learned in a schooling environment have real-world applications that teach people how to secure their own success and happiness on their own.
As well, educated people rely less on others to make decisions, form opinions, provide financial support, or speak for them. Education can empower each person to find their strengths and their voice, and use them to make the world around a better place to be.

Craig Middleton

Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers by Jo Boaler

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers by Jo Boaler explains what you can do for your own thinking and that of your students to be truly limitless. It draws on educational and brain research that points out that the brain changes when we learn. There is also a focus on the power of mistakes, how changing your mind can change your reality and the benefits of collaboration. Flexible thinking is better than fast thinking and learning is more effective when it is multidimensional. Although Jo comes from the field of math, this book is valuable to all educators and all people.

Introduction: The Six Keys

We know that the brain changes over time. The concept is called neuroplasticity. This means that if you get stuck when you are trying to learn something, it’s important that you not start thinking that your brain isn’t made for that type of learning. The most common type of learning anxiety that impacts about half of the population is math anxiety. Some also suffer from writing anxiety or think that they have no artistic skills. As the title suggests, everyone should think that their mind and their ability to learn is limitless rather than fixed. This agrees with Carol Dweck’s concept of the growth mindset. See my summary of her book here. When you hit a limit, you need to develop a new strategy rather than quit. Reject stereotypical messages and keep going. Praise students for hard work and creativity rather than telling them they are smart. Above all, make sure they know that you believe in them.

1. How Neuroplasticity Changes Everything

For the last twenty years or so we have known that the human brain is constantly changing. The brain you have today isn’t the one you woke up with yesterday. We don’t come prewired to be good at some things and bad at other things. We ALL have to work to form and reinforce the neural connections we need to do our jobs and live our lives. The big lesson is don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t learn something and be good at it.
Boeler sites research that shows how learning disabilities can be overcome with the right kind of brain training. Check out her site at YouCubed.org for more information. There are inspirational stories here about people who were told they couldn’t do something and ended up doing great things. Most schools also have gifted programs. The idea that you can identify some kids as gifted reinforces a fixed-brain way of thinking. Gifted kids can benefit from gifted programs, but when they struggle they are likely to give up thinking that their fixed brain has reached its limit. Regardless of what kind of brain you are born with, what you learn will depend on how hard you work and struggle, not what you started with. Jo also writes about how stereotypes regarding women and minorities can lead to lower expectations and lower achievement.

2. Why We Should Love Mistakes, Struggle, and Even Failure

The times we struggle and make mistakes are the best times for brain growth. Teachers need to promote this concept and learn how to make students struggle. People who face struggle and stop no doubt have a fixed mindset. Students should know that they don’t always have to be right as it’s not good brain exercise. Schoolwork should be challenging. You learn at the edge of your understanding, which shouldn’t be too easy.
Self-testing and peer-testing are valuable, as retrieval reinforces your brain’s memory circuits. The steps of struggle include, I don’t know this, this isn’t easy, I’m confused, I need to work hard on this, and I think I’m getting it. All of this is true even for kindergarten or younger. Understanding the positive benefits of mistakes can unlock a limitless life. You don’t want to let children give up to save them from struggle as your efforts are likely to backfire. Rather, support them as they struggle. Never give up on any student. See challenge as an opportunity. Change your negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Be guided by your interests, not your fears.

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Four Benefits of Employing Toys for Education by Craig Middleton

Monday, February 7th, 2022

Toys
Four Benefits of Employing Toys for Education by Craig Middleton explains why toys belong in just about any learning environment and activity. Are there age-appropriate toys in you home and in your child’s classroom? Thanks, Craig.

Introduction

Over the last century, parents and teachers have found many creative avenues for educating children. The theories on education and how children learn are endless, but some of the tools are timeless, such as books and instruments for writing. One of the most enduring tools for educators of children has been toys. Because children associate toys with having fun and entertainment, toys also have the ability to make learning fun.
The word “toy” conjures images of an expansive array of manufactured goods for children, as there is no limit to their many shapes, sizes and uses. There are puzzles, games, dolls, blocks, and more. Here’s a look at how toys help build learning foundations and lasting outcomes in the classroom.

1. Greater Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

When children watch toys during a lesson, they are watching a scene playout, much like a movie. For example, if you want to teach a child about sharing, you could take two figures, such as the famous Barbie made by Mattel, and demonstrate how friends take turns. This demonstration will resonate better than being told. It also builds on a child’s ability to understand the needs of others around them.
Toys also demonstrate how to respond to situations, and how uncomfortable situations can be resolved. Children look to adults to answer these types of questions, but adults themselves don’t always make the best role models, except when they use toys to show how to do it right. Through the use of toys, a discussion can take place about why someone felt the way they did and how someone else can help make them feel better.

2. Increased Creativity

Toys help children expand on their creativity. They teach them to fill in the gaps and to imagine alternate endings. For example, if an adult utilizes a puppet for storytime, and the puppet is a whale, the child knows a whale must have water in its environment, and so the child’s mind fills in the environment that is missing. While the whale may be attached to a hand, during the story, the child can imagine the whale is at a dock, or some other place the story dictates.
Give the child the same toy to play with on their own, and they will create their own stories. New scenes will be created in their minds. Not only are they learning to create dialogue, but they are learning to create images.

3. Improved Learning Retention

When children learn, new paths are created in their brains that they can return to in a similar situation. This is an oversimplified explanation for how learning works, but since children are more apt to pay attention when a toy is utilized when they encounter the same problem again, they can draw on what they learned through the toy.
This is especially critical for developing problem-solving skills. Children can look back to what they learned through the use of toys and apply them to problems in everyday life as well as later in their educational development.

4. Assists with Motor Skills

Toys can also be used to assist with developing motor skills. This is especially important for children with disabilities who may require more work to reach certain milestones such as using writing instruments and eating utensils or tying shoes. By using playtime to teach and practice these life skills, children are more eager to participate. The result is practice that is fun.
Educators often overlook the positive achievements that can be made by employing toys in the classroom. Yet, toys have always been strongly associated with developing creativity and emotional intelligence in children. If a child were to walk into a classroom and see only books and a blackboard, they might sense they had a dull day ahead of them. Add some colorful puzzles, games, and toys to that same classroom, and it becomes an environment that is friendly and ripe for exploration. The same if true for their home environment.

Craig Middleton

Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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The Diffusion of Innovation, 5th ed by Everett Rogers

Friday, February 4th, 2022

The Diffusion of Innovation (5th ed) by Everett M. Rogers is THE book for anyone who wants to understand this phenomena. This is the 2003 version, but it is still very current. I used this book a lot when I was doing my dissertation and revisit the concepts via this summary from time to time. This is my longest book summary so it may take more than one sitting to finish it. I think it will be work your time.

Chapter 1 – Elements of Diffusion

Getting a new idea adopted, even when it has obvious advantages is difficult. Therefore, a common problem for individuals and organizations is how to speed up the rate of diffusion of an innovation. Diffusion is a process in which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. A degree of uncertainty is involved and the process can be planned or spontaneous. It results in one kind of social change and leads to certain consequences.

Element 1

1) The innovation: It is an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new. If it seems new, it is an innovation. The adoption process is an information seeking and processing activity in which an individual is motivated to reduce uncertainty about the advantages and disadvantages of an innovation. The characteristics of innovations, as perceived by individuals, help explain their different rates of adoption.
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Element 2

2) Communication Channels: The essence of the diffusion process is the information exchange through which one individual communicates a new idea to others. Mass media channels are usually the most rapid and efficient means of informing an audience. Interpersonal channels involve face-to-face exchanges. A third form involves the interactions between individuals via the Internet.

Element 3

3) Time: The inclusion of time in diffusion research is one of its strengths. The five steps in the process are: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. There are five adopter categories that are time-based. The first adopters are called innovators. They are followed in time by early adopters, the early majority, the late majority, and laggards. When the number of adopters is plotted over time, an S-shaped curve results.

Element 4

4) A Social System: This is a set of interrelated units that are engaged in joint problem solving to accomplish a common goal. Social systems have structure that gives regularity and stability to human behavior (norms). It allows one to predict behavior with some degree of accuracy. The communication in a system also has a structure. Knowledge of the system’s structure is necessary if one wishes to study diffusion within the system.

Some History

A series of independent groups started this research in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Each group was invisible to the others and used different approaches. They all, however, found the diffusion followed an S-shaped curve and the innovators had higher socioeconomic status than did later adopters. By the late 1960’s the independent groups had come together as shown by the increase in cross-tradition citations.

Gabriel Tarde

Tarde was a French lawyer and judge around 1900. He observed that for every ten new ideas that spread, ninety will be forgotten. He also observed that the rate of imitation usually followed an S-shaped curve and that the takeoff in the curve begins to occur when the opinion leaders in a system use a new idea. Forty years later his observations were put to the test by empirical research.

The Nine Major Diffusion Research Traditions

1) Anthropology – The study of how tribes or villages use technological ideas such as the steel ax, horses, and boiling water.
2) Rural Sociology – The study of how farmers in rural communities adopt agricultural ideas such as weed sprays, hybrid seed, and fertilizers.
3) Education – The study of school systems, teachers, or administrators as they adopt teaching/learning innovations like kindergarten, modern math, programmed instruction, and team teaching.
4) Public Health and Medical Sociology – The study of individuals or organizations such as hospitals and health departments as they adopt medical and health ideas like drugs, vaccinations, family-planning, and AIDS prevention.
5) Communication – The study of individuals and organizations as they adopt technological innovations and new communications technology.
6) Marketing and Management – They study of individual consumers as they adopt new products.
7) Geography – The study of individuals and organizations as they adopt technological innovations.
8) General Sociology – The study of individuals and other units as they adopt a wide variety of ideas.
9) Early Sociology – The study of communities or individuals as they adopt things like city manager government, postage stamps, and ham radios.
Other traditions include economics, public administration, political science, psychology, industrial engineering, statistics, and others.

A Word About Education

Unlike some fields, innovations adopted by education are done so by organizations rather than individuals. Early studies were carried out by Paul Mort at Columbia University. He found that the best single predictor of innovativeness was expenditure per student. The stereotype of the rich suburban school as highly innovative was largely confirmed. Mort found that considerable time lags were required. It took kindergartens about 50 years to be completely adopted. Driver training needed only 18 years while modern math needed only 5 years. Both were promoted by change agencies. The insurance companies and auto manufacturers in the case of driver training and the National Science Foundation for modern math.

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Daniel Pink’s Best Ideas Presented Only to People Who Preordered His New Book

Tuesday, February 1st, 2022

On 1/30/2022 I attended a Daniel Pick online presentation only for people who had preordered his new book “The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward.” There were about 1,300 of us. During this presentation, he gave the audience the ten most important things that he has ever learned. These all match up with my thinking. Since he did a count down, we start with the number 10. This presentation will not be available anywhere else so share this with your network.

10. How to make a decision

Start with asking yourself “what advice would you give to a friend.” Fundamental reasons are better than instrumental reasons. Do the right thing. Less is more. Do fewer things well.

9. The best way to get things done Read

“Bird by Bird” by Annie Lamont. This is the one step at a time approach to getting something done. The coach should tell the team, let’s go 1-0 today.

8. The best way to choose what to do

Pick the professor more than the class. Focus on who you are doing something with. Read “The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t” by Robert I. Sutton. Here is a link to my summary. Don’t tolerate jerks for a moment. We are who we spend time with.

7. How to Persuade People

Read “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini. The best way to persuade someone to do something is to make it easy for them to do it. Consider changing the default option. If you want to make it easy to run, put on your running outfit.

6. The best way to get a good idea and how can you tell a good idea from a bad idea

From Malcolm Gladwell, good ideas lead to good ideas. Look for good ideas you had that have proved themselves. You need to be excited about it. Look for stories rather than topics. Put your ideas out to other people. They are likely to give you more ideas. Generate a lot of ideas without evaluating them at first. Next, capture the ideas. They can be floating. Keep a running document on your computer and cellphone so that you get an idea you can write it down. Finally, socialize your ideas and don’t worry about somebody stealing them. The more ideas you share, the more people will share there’s with you.

5. The best way to deal with hassles

Read “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen. If you have a task that can be done in less than two minutes, do it now. Use the stoic test. When confronted with a hassle reframe it as a test. Then move it from the realm of emotion to the realm of cognition.

4. The best way to liberate yourself

Do not manage your life to impact what other people think of you as they are probably thinking about themselves. Just be a good person and do the right thing.

3. The best way to get stuff done, part two

Step by step is the micro part. Seeing the big picture and keeping your eye on the prize is the macro part. You want to think about systems. Broaden your focus and it will be easier to see how the small parts fit. Al Gore made a guest appearance here. We always face the voice between doing the hard right thing and the easy wrong thing. Seek first to understand.

2. The best way to deal with regrets

Dan recalls telling the head of AirB&B that his idea would never work. Process regrets inward, outward, and forward. Treat yourself with kindness. We all make mistakes. Forgive yourself. Disclose your regret. It releases the burden. Even writing about it can be helpful. Finally, extract a lesson from it.

1. The best three words to say regularly

Please and Thank You. They are profound. Please reminds us that we are not entitled to anything. Thank you serves a similar purpose. Expressing gratitude deepens our sense of meaning and purpose. Doing so is advantageous. Here is a link to my summaries of Daniel Pink’s books.

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