Meet Willard Romneyspeare

He might not speak in Iambic Pentameter, but Mitt’s gaffes are fine fodder for Shakespearean comedy. But is Romney an Iago? Mayhaps.

Don’t Ignore Finland’s Educational Success

The Article: What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success by Anu Partenan in The Atlantic.

The Text: Everyone agrees the United States needs to improve its education system dramatically, but how? One of the hottest trends in education reform lately is looking at the stunning success of the West’s reigning education superpower, Finland. Trouble is, when it comes to the lessons that Finnish schools have to offer, most of the discussion seems to be missing the point.

The small Nordic country of Finland used to be known — if it was known for anything at all — as the home of Nokia, the mobile phone giant. But lately Finland has been attracting attention on global surveys of quality of life — Newsweek ranked it number one last year — and Finland’s national education system has been receiving particular praise, because in recent years Finnish students have been turning in some of the highest test scores in the world.

Finland’s schools owe their newfound fame primarily to one study: the PISA survey, conducted every three years by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The survey compares 15-year-olds in different countries in reading, math, and science. Finland has ranked at or near the top in all three competencies on every survey since 2000, neck and neck with superachievers such as South Korea and Singapore. In the most recent survey in 2009 Finland slipped slightly, with students in Shanghai, China, taking the best scores, but the Finns are still near the very top. Throughout the same period, the PISA performance of the United States has been middling, at best.

Continue Reading

A Groove From Nowhere

Having a bad day? Just listen to Dan Croll’s track, “From Nowhere”. That drop.

Brett Victor On Inventing On Principle

I’ll be damned if this isn’t motivational.

Why It’s Wrong To Call Politicians Hitler

OK, OK. But Obama is still a socialist AND a fascist.