Reboot in the News

When it comes to reasoning, kids can surprise us. They ask penetrating questions that seem to come out of thin air. But this kind of progress in reasoning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. 

To develop reasoning skills, children require the right kind of environment and support from schools, teachers, and parents, as well as the right kinds of challenges, discussions, and even arguments.

Fake news is back in the real news. A study released this month found that the 100 most widely shared fake news stories of the year had received an estimated 158.9 million Facebook views between January and October. The European Union recently scolded social media giants, demanding they do more to combat fabricated content, and Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook has caught Russian and Iranian bot-nets aimed at interfering in the 2020 U.S. elections

Schools in Wisconsin and across the country have invested a lot in technology, and new research is questioning how effective it is in teaching kids to read.

A study done by a think-tank that examines learning in a digital age found Wisconsin fourth graders who used tablets in most classes had reading scores nine points lower on a standardized test than those who didn’t use tablets in class.

My son, Joe, and his wife have three sons, ages 10, 8 and 5. Like many parents, they are trying to limit the time the boys spend staring at computer screens. Their California school system and the state are making that difficult.

Too many business leaders are simply not reasoning through pressing issues, taking the time to evaluate a topic from all sides. Leaders often jump to the first conclusion, whatever the evidence. Even worse, C-suite leaders will just choose the evidence that supports their prior beliefs. A lack of metacognition — or thinking about thinking — is also a major driver, making people simply overconfident. This article defines three simple things that can be done at work or in daily life to improve critical thinking skills.

There’s a lot to feel guilty about these days as a parent: working too much to spend time with your children; feeding the aforementioned children a steady diet of pizza, peanut butter sandwiches and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish; ruining everyone else’s plane ride. Perhaps no source of parental guilt, however, gets more attention these days — when it can get our attention, that is — than the overuse of electronic devices.