Klingbrief

The feeling of awe – “the emotion triggered by mysterious experiences of things or ideas that we’ve never encountered before” – is a wellspring of meaning, especially for children. This article, pegged to the release of a new book by UC Berkeley Professor Dacher Keltner, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, makes the case for the importance of the experience of awe. Journalist Maryam Abdullah quotes Keltner’s thesis that “one of the most alarming trends in the lives of children today is the disappearance of awe.” Whether it’s due to over-scheduling, a lack of arts opportunities, or myriad other factors, awe-inspiring experiences seem to be on the decline. Such experiences are essential for character-forming and perspective-broadening, especially among children. Both this article and a similarly eye-opening interview from Vox’s Unexplainable detail fascinating research on how these kinds of experiences can make children kinder, more compassionate, more curious, and more in touch with their own thoughts and feelings. In other words, awe can inspire deep, meaningful growth in social and emotional intelligence. Most helpfully, Abdullah’s article offers some poignant guidance for how to weave awe-inspiration into our everyday lives. Cultivating experiences of awe may be one part of a strategy for building a more just, peaceful, and compassionate world.

According to The Social Institute, a non-profit dedicated to providing schools with gamified lessons highlighting positive and responsible uses of technology, one thing that students wish adults would understand is that “social media’s stigma is more harmful than social media itself.” And yet, adult apprehension about social media’s hold on today’s youth continues to rise. Into this arena of relative irresolution wades The Educator’s Playbook, a collection of timely resources for K-12 educators from Penn’s Graduate School of Education. In the October 17th podcast, “Teaching Critical Thinking: Media Literacy and Document-Based Historical Inquiry,” host Kimberly McGlonn interviews Megan Fromm, Education Manager of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, and Abby Reisman, Associate Professor of Learning, Teaching, and Literacies at Penn GSE. Together, Fromm and Reisman make a compelling case for educators to embrace and incorporate all different kinds of media into their units of inquiry to help students sharpen their critical thinking skills and achieve more nuanced understandings of history. Giving students class time to interact with media and reflect on its purpose, message, origin, and audience makes good sense given the steady stream of digital content flowing to them from their devices. Fromm, Reisman, and educators at The Social Institute similarly argue that rather than address media literacy in silos, teachers should thread such lessons into every classroom and grade level and frame discussions about student use of social media in judgment-free language. The stakes are not low when it comes to helping students to understand who is sending them the messages they’re receiving and for what purpose.

This paper from the Harvard Next Level Lab is a read that many will find both inviting and disruptive. As its title promises, it is for “navigationists” (likely most of us) looking for pathways of possibility in a world in which generative AI exists, is not going away, and demands a change-focused rethinking of our roles and our students’ needs. The paper has a welcome clarity, though it does not give answers. It is organized around a few simply stated suggestions for educators to consider and discuss, each with a concise, evidence-based explanation that could trigger staff-wide reflection or personal professional pondering. The authors encourage demystifying AI, examining how and why to teach learners the nature of generative AI. Links take us to material appropriate for young learners as well as upper-grade students. The authors then explore deeply the educational value of a focus on the process of learning rather than the product – far from a new concept, but a vitally important one when we look at how we ask our students to show us what they know in a world with AI at their fingertips. If the motivation for learning is shifting to process, what will assessment look like? What will motivate student agency? Can we give students the tools to discern when, where, and how to use AI while keeping their curiosity and motivation alive? Of highest interest is the paper’s clear acceptance that the future is now and that schools will need to determine, in their own contexts, how to cultivate skills that AI cannot perform for our students, incorporating their lived experience and understanding into locally significant solutions to big challenges.

Despite educators’ best efforts, which include continual discussions of growth mindset and the benefits of learning from one’s mistakes, a fear of failure persists at independent schools. What might we accomplish if we overcame our fear of being wrong and instead learned how to fail well? Renowned author and researcher, Amy C. Edmondson, answers this question in her new book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. Edmondson has made the study of teams and psychological safety her life’s work. In this text, Edmondson uses salient examples to help readers better understand the three kinds of failure: basic, complex, and intelligent. Intelligent failures are those that have led to some of the most influential accomplishments in history. The first part of her text describes the overall landscape of failure while the second half provides insights into the key competencies that she argues we need to “practice the science of failing well.” Edmondson asserts that “failing well, perhaps living well, requires us to become vigorously humble and curious — a state that does not come naturally to adults.” This text empowers its readers to define their own complicated relationships with failure and develop the capacity to harness mistakes as part of the process of discovery.

The NativityMiguel network of schools consists of over 50 elementary and middle schools that provide an extended school day and year as well as graduate support and a faith-based curriculum. In a new book, Fr. Jack Podsiadlo, SJ, notes the humble foundations of the original Nativity Mission Center and its downfall due to the 2008 financial crisis and gentrification. The book ends in hope as Podsiadlo identifies other forms of creative, independent Catholic education for marginalized communities such as the Cristo Rey Network for high schools and the Come to Believe Network for junior college. The highlight of the book is the story of the development of the Nativity Mission Center School in 1971. The school’s mission had been around since the turn of the 20th century and served Italian immigrants. As the peoples’ needs grew, so did its programming: a nursery program, after-school programs, summer camp, and, eventually, a middle-school. The school itself was revolutionary, with a pedagogy put together by a counselor who knew the needs of the local students, twenty-five minute periods, extended study halls, and graduate support to follow students into high school. In short, as Podsiadlo puts it, it was an independent school that met the marginalized because it was formed by “risk takers [who] dared to do the unorthodox.” We see here a blueprint for future endeavors in independent, especially faith-based, education on the margins.

Adolescence can be a tumultuous time when emotions tend to shift, intensify, surprise, and overwhelm. Those raising or working with teenagers often find themselves in the challenging role of co-navigators on stormy seas. Uncomfortable emotions are an inevitable part of life, and a pivotal question is: How can we equip teens with the skills to embrace and manage them effectively? Dr. Lisa Damour's newest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, focuses on the importance of teaching adolescents how to express and regulate their emotions. Drawing from years of clinical experience and data-informed research, psychologist Damour sheds light on the changes that occur in teenagers’ brain chemistry, aptly describing them as a “grand renovation project underway in their brain,” and offers ideas for helping teens express and regulate their emotions. While primarily aimed at parents, this book is an invaluable resource for educators or anyone committed to guiding teenagers through the emotional challenges of adolescence. Damour's ability to demystify complex concepts through relatable anecdotes makes this an accessible and relatable read. Moreover, her practical strategies offer families and educators useful tools for navigating the dynamic landscape of adolescent emotions.

In the latest installment of the Miles Morales’ Spider-Man series, New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds does not shy away from tackling topics that landed some of his previous works on the banned books list. In his latest novel, Suspended, Reynolds examines the school-to-prison pipeline and revisionist history experienced through the eyes of our protagonist, Miles, an Afro-Latino high schooler who just happens to be a superhero. Reynolds masterfully weaves together the challenges of this not-so-cool student who doesn't quite fit in at his private school, struggles with family dynamics, and still has to fight crime. “In a school like Brooklyn Visions Academy, [broken] desks are easily replaceable. Dignity is not.” Reynolds' writing is sharp, engaging and filled with imagery, symbolism and metaphors, with a mix of poetry and prose in every chapter. As the poem “History Class” asks, “You ever had a teacher who taught you like they were teaching you a lesson?” In Suspended, Reynolds challenges biased teachings in the classroom as Miles (aka Spider-Man) fights against an evil villain who tries to erase history. Teachers should consider this quick read for middle schoolers as a way to foster discussion about race, identity, and institutional bias.

Described as "The Parent Trap meets The Vanishing Half," Look No Further is a compelling YA novel that explores family, race, identity, and finding one’s voice. Authored by siblings Rioghnach Robinson and Síofra Robinson, the novel follows Niko and Ali, high school students from opposite sides of the country who meet at a prestigious summer arts institute in New York City – only to discover they are half-siblings. They embark on an adventure to find their father, a reclusive Chinese sculptor whom neither has ever known, and on a journey of self-discovery. Niko, a 17-year-old surfer from California, raised by his white mother and stepfather without exposure to Chinese language or culture, reflects "I don't feel like a real Asian.” Ali, a queer 15-year-old who has her mother's blond hair and grey eyes, grew up with her Chinese grandmother in a Mandarin-speaking home in Flushing, Queens and "never thought of [herself] as anything other than Chinese" until friends and strangers perceive her as white. Alternating between Niko’s and Ali's points of view, the book shares each character’s thoughts as they gain new insights about essential questions of identity: Who am I as an artist? As a person? What does it mean to be biracial? How do I address stereotypes and microaggressions? If I am fully myself, will others accept me? How do I define family? The book's depiction of Niko's and Ali's insecurities, introspection, and growing confidence to define themselves feels authentic and engaging. Look No Further provides windows and mirrors for teen (and adult) readers that can launch meaningful conversations.