As head of school, shepn nachas from our students and faculty, much in the way parents and grandparents do from their children, and grandchildren, is something I do on a daily basis. And if you’re not familiar with the term, … Read More
Creativitiy
What Children Need – A Wake Up Call for Our Nation’s Schools
Childhood should be a time of awe and wonder; an opportunity to play, explore, create and to learn in a fashion that promotes healthy living and optimism. Then why do so many children suffer from anxiety and depression, and why … Read More
Lose the Fight and Win the Beautiful Mystery
There is an illustration attached to a short story that hangs in my office. In part it reads: “…I think the universe has different plans for me…this is the thing we all come to and this is the thing we … Read More
The Problem With Conventional Wisdom
Conventional wisdom is the body of ideas or explanations generally accepted as true by the public or by experts in a field. Here is some of the conventional wisdom regarding education over the past century: Education is primarily about delivering … Read More
The Homework Question Revisited
Nothing much has changed since the last time I wrote about homework, in 2010. The most recent research supports earlier data that shows little to no correlation between homework and achievement in the elementary grades, with one caveat: there is … Read More
Soft Skills, Solid Values
Recently, in an nprEd article, “Nonacademic Skills Are Key To Success. But What Should We Call Them?” the author, Anya Kamenetz, wrote that more than ever before, people in education and in the workforce agree on the importance of learning … Read More
From Death to Life: The Story of Beauty, Meaning, and Social Judgment
Ten years ago, Daniel Pink wrote about why the 21st century would belong to the right brain. He wrote about how the economy would not be driven by the functionality of goods alone, but by their beauty and messages associated … Read More
Change Or……!
In a day and age when knowledge is easily obtainable by grabbing your smartphone from your pocket, and information learned may be outdated two minutes after a student graduates, employers care less about facts and more about whether a graduate … Read More
Hillel: A Little “Google” with A Jewish Twist
When I lead tours of the Audrey and William Farber Family IDEA Collaborative, I always make the point that space impacts mood, creativity, productivity and innovation. Children deserve inspiring, bright and comfortable spaces as much as any adult working at … Read More
Innovation Hub: Encounters with the Unknown
The innovation hub at Hillel Day School is the centerpiece of the new Audrey and William Farber Family IDEA Collaborative. It is unique in the Detroit area and rather cutting edge for an ECC-8 school anywhere in the United States. … Read More