Kids Pick Their Own Books in Classroom Revolution

But some teachers worry it will halt new forms of teaching

(NEWSER) - Teachers Facebooking students: Usually not a good idea . And soon, in Virginia, it may not be allowed. The state's Board of Education is voting on a policy this week that would restrict teacher-student interaction via social networks, online games, and text messages, unless such interaction is through a platform provided by the school. If the guidelines are approved, the Board says they will not be forced on schools—simply encouraged—but some educators are concerned such a recommended policy will make it more difficult to use social learning or technology in class. More»

California group trying to force school to become charter

(NEWSER) - Two dispatches from the education front, both speaking to underperforming students and angry parents:

• In Compton, California: Parents are trying to take advantage of a new state law to force their chronically awful school to be taken over by a charter operation. Advocates easily got the necessary 51% support of parents. The case is being closely watched because it essentially creates a "union for parents" to go up against teachers, explains the New York Times. It would be the first such action in the nation, and education chief Arne Duncan is in favor. Full story here .

They're not trashy, but they're still page-turners

(NEWSER) - Looking for a page-turner to read on the beach, but just can’t bring yourself to buy a trashy supermarket romance novel? Allow Sadie Stein to introduce you to 10 respectable summer reads “that you can show with pride—but will devour like a tween guilty pleasure,” on Jezebel :

• Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace: “Stop putting it off! You'll enjoy it, we swear!” Plus, it’s long enough to last any length of plane ride.
• Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov: “How can something so utterly artful and disturbing be so completely, deliciously addictive? Probably one of the best reads of all time.”

This list might be enough to make your head hurt

(NEWSER) - Great books can bring great joy—and, in a few cases, great big headaches. Listverse compiles the 10 toughest reads in literature:

• Finnegans Wake, James Joyce: If you thought Joyce would ride his way onto this list compliments of Ulysses, think again. Written partially in a made-up language of mindbendingly convoluted puns, this novel is often considered unreadable.

Instructors transfer bias to students

(NEWSER) - Girls who buy into the stereotype that boys are better at math may be learning the trait from their own female teachers. Female first-and second-grade teachers worried about their math skills transfer that anxiety onto girls in their classrooms, a new study suggests. Those teachers were more likely to believe that boys are intuitively better at math and girls more suited to reading. More»