Iserotope Extras - Issue #13

This week I've included more articles about education and reading, which many of you will enjoy. If you're into growth mindset, definitely read the first one. If you're into race and the 14th Amendment, definitely read the third one. The other two are good, too!

Revisiting the "Growth Mindset"

It happened with "grit," and now it's happening with the "growth mindset." Educators get excited about a psychologist's research, make it their own, and then morph its meaning. In this article, Carol Dweck clarifies her theory of intelligence.

Learning to Die

"No one tells you how discreetly death can make its catch, or how languorously. It rolls in like a low wave: It’s moving, and it’s not; she’s there, afloat, and she’s not; it simultaneously sluices through her and tugs her in its tide for hours, until she’s silently dispelled by its force."

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Author Joseph Ragain used to be Joey when he was my student in 1997. I'm reading and liking his first book, which is about a teenage boy in California who likes to play baseball and who finds out one day that he has been granted a few wishes.

The Model Minority is Losing Patience

If Chief Justice John Roberts has his way, this year's Supreme Court will likely end affirmative action in higher education. This article explains the complicated nature of this issue in the Asian American community (though I'm not a fan of the term "bamboo ceiling").

Beyond Walls: Libraries and Incarcerated Youth

Public libraries do a great job bringing books to students in prison. But in my experience, they do less well teaming up with public schools to bring books to students in classrooms. (My gut says that librarians feel they're in competition with teachers.)

Hope you liked this week's articles! Be sure to reply if you'd like to share your thoughts!