The GWT Blog
In Search of Corporate Heroes...
July 29, 2010
I don't think we lack any CEO heroes. But I suspect that the true heroes are largely unsung, and prefer to remain that way.
Children and Good Work
June 28, 2010
Very young children appear to embrace Good Work with greater enthusiasm than their older classmates. For nine years in elementary and middle school, we teach our students about numbers and dates and places. Then on weekends some of the students go to church, temple or synagogue to address their spiritual selves. The twain rarely meet. This project sought to join the two worlds, to help children get in touch with their better angels, to open their
lives to the possibility of wonder.
Google and Goldman
June 27, 2010
At least until the spring of 2010, two lines of work have been particularly seductive for 'the best and the brightest'—the graduates of our leading colleges and universities. One professional option has entailed work at the cutting edge of the technology sector—for Facebook, Apple or Google. Complementing Silicon Valley, the other option has been to work on "The Street"—in investment banking, hedge funds, or some other branch of the financial industry.
Lay It on the Table
May 26, 2010
The end of the year for graduates is understandably pretty much all about them, but to be honest, sometimes we all can lose perspective down the final stretch.
On Being a True Activist
May 11, 2010
A while ago I put forth the proposition that there are no innocent bystanders, that those who sat idle while classmates were being humiliated or taken advantage of against their wishes were a major part of the problem. Our students will forever hesitate to stand up for what is morally right if they perceive a social cost, and they may never do it if the adults in their world do not stand up with them and for them in their formative years.
Inspiring for Change: GoodWork for Mexico's Children
April 28, 2010
My name is Yael Karakowsky; I am from Mexico and have been a preschool teacher for the last 3 years. I often ask myself how many "dreamers" are out there … doing everything they can, walking that extra mile, never missing a chance and always seeking to do a little bit more. I consider myself a fighter, a dreamer and sometimes … a person that expects more than what is actually possible...
Inspirando al cambio: GoodWork para los niños de México
April 27, 2010
Mi nombre es Yael Karakowsky. Soy mexicana y he trabajado como maestra de preescolar durante los últimos tres años. Constantemente me pregunto ¿cuántos soñadores hay allá afuera?... personas que salen de la norma, que no descansan hasta dar ese paso extra, intentando no perder oportunidades y siempre buscando hacer un poco más. Me considero una de estas personas; una luchadora, una soñadora y en ocasiones… una persona que podría esperar más de lo que es realmente posible.
Can We Trust Goldman Sachs?
April 26, 2010
Goldman Sachs is widely acknowledged to be a leader in its field and has certainly been successful by most commonly applied criteria. But it has to decide what business or profession it is in. If it is just a business, whose goal is to make as much money as possible for partners and shareholders, then it needs to make that clear.
GoodWork in Nursing
March 17, 2010
My name is Joan Miller. I have been a nurse for over 35 years. I currently teach in a baccalaureate nursing program at Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA. I entered the profession with a desire to provide excellent care for my patients. I wanted to be known as a caring nurse, one willing to work hard, listen well, and show that my patients were always my top priority. I've worked hard to foster professional growth and excellence among my students. However, much to my dismay, many new graduates become disillusioned when they enter the work place.
Success in Teaching
February 26, 2010
Today is the second day of the Expeditionary Learning (EL) National Conference 2010, in Kansas City (where the temperature outside seems to be "warming up" to a whopping 30 degrees!). The conference has been inspiring and powerful thus far, and even more so for us on the GoodWork Project because of its focus on "good work."
"Good work. It's what we're all about."
February 25, 2010
Expeditionary Learning 2010 National Conference
Wendy and I are attending the Expeditionary Learning Schools National Conference in Kansas City. An amazing group of educators, and an inspiring series of discussions. This year's focus is on good work and we're honored to be a part of it. For those of you who aren't yet familiar with Expeditionary Learning, let me tell you a little bit about it, because it's growing, it's having impact, and that impact is of exceptional quality.
Digital Media and American Youth
February 22, 2010
Have the digital media changed American youth? That's the question that a group of researchers, including members of Howard Gardner's research team at Project Zero, met to discuss last December in Princeton, New Jersey.
Surface Manifestations of Leadership
February 12, 2010
With President's Day around the corner, it seems a good time to reflect on the nature of leadership. Below, we share Howard Gardner's responses to some questions recently posed by an Italian journalist.
Howard Gardner in Mexico City
February 01, 2010
Last October, Mexico City had the pleasure of receiving Dr. Howard Gardner. Banamex, one of the most important Mexican Financial Groups, invited him to their " 2009-3rd Encuentro de Educación Financiera "Respuestas de Pe$o" Ser, conocer y hacer para vivir juntos". Dr. Garder's lecture "Five Minds of the Future" gave participants new alternatives to develop strategies within ourselves, and everyone who is devoted to education in a formal or informal way.
The Ministers' Misconceptions
January 11, 2010
Of all the findings from cognitive psychology that are relevant for education, one stands out. That is the repeated demonstration, across a number of disciplines, of the prevalence of misconceptions and the difficulty of getting rid of them and replacing them with more powerful and more veridical conceptions.
Press Release: On Teens' Online Activities
December 04, 2009
Global Kids, Harvard's GoodPlay Project and Common Sense Media today released Meeting of Minds, a report that highlights the ways in which parents, teachers, and teens relate to the emerging ethical dimensions of life online. The report is the result of a series of cross-generational online dialogues held this past spring about digital ethics, and reveals the critical importance of active adult engagement with teens to help develop healthy attitudes about online behaviors that often have long-lasting and far-reaching effects.
A Choice with Real Value
October 27, 2009
Choice and opportunity are emblems of freedom. But researchers tell us that the myriad options available to us are no longer liberating but quite oppressive. Studies indicate that the number of decisions we make every day – in the cereal aisle, at the espresso stand, on our cable TVs - are literally exhausting us. Perhaps more significant is the implication that the constant stream of relatively minor decisions we make may lead us to make poorer choices across all areas of our lives.
Nobel Prize for Mentorship?
October 16, 2009
The recent announcement of the Nobel Laureates in Medicine point to another achievement that deserves recognition: outstanding mentorship. Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider were members of a scientific "lineage" with Joseph Gall at its head. Blackburn studied under Gall; Greider studied under Blackburn. Two very successful women in a field that has been dominated by men, in a field in which mentoring does not typically come first.
The Obama Gamble
October 14, 2009
I begin with a confession. Away from my home in Cambridge, traveling in London, I must admit, with embarrassment, that when I first saw the headline in a tabloid "Obama wind Nobel Peace Prize" I thought it was a joke. After all, the satirical publication, the ONION has featured headlines that were less surprising. A bit later, I realized that the joke was on me.
The Road to Hell?
September 26, 2009
If the proverbial inter-planetary visitor observed educational policymakers around the world, she would soon infer their single preoccupation: “How to raise scores on international comparisons like the TIMMS or the PISA tests.” This mentality also dominates the United States. A focus on standardized tests, how to raise scores, and what consequences follow ...
Looking for Good Work
September 25, 2009
A year ago, I was content in California—finishing up graduate school coursework and working in educational program assessment. Based on what I hear from everyone who’s ever spent a winter in New England, I probably should have appreciated the sunshine and cool breezes back home (read: the opposite of gray skies and icy wind) a bit more.
Welcome!
September 15, 2009
Welcome to the Toolkit website! This project has been a long time coming, and we are excited to watch what happens as this community comes together. In the past few months, we have been gathering together material for this site, and it's been a pleasure revisiting letters, syllabi, student work, and other materials gathered over the past few years.
What do you do in the summer?
July 20, 2009
Upon hearing that we work at a graduate school of education, people often ask us "What do you do in the summer?" "Do you get the summer off?" Our answer back is short: "NO!"
In fact, in many ways, our summer is busier here at work because it is the time that educators have time to breathe, reflect on their year, and think about the academic year that lies ahead.
