“No, Your Kid Shouldn’t Get a Gold Star for Reading,” by Pamela Paul, New York Times. I’m going to share this with my students, after we spent all last week talking why you need to be a reader first before you can be a writer or a designer. Paul has some great advice for parents:

“And convey the message that reading isn’t a pleasure reserved for kids. Openly revel in the fact that you finally get to settle down with a book at the end of the day. Talk at dinner about what books you’ve been binge reading. Integrate books into your daily routine so that it’s not just something the kids do, but a grown-up pursuit as well, and a cherished part of your family.”

“The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk of 2014. I showed this video each semester in my introduction to mass media class and I’m so in love with its message. Over the weekend I decided it’s a great talk for students in my basic media writing class, too. I’m training the next generation of media professionals, and avoiding stereotypes and those single stories is critical to their success.

 

That tinge of fall in the air. It’s September 1, and tomorrow is Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer. I see some early leaves changing color and the corn in the fields is becoming just a bit drier. Temperatures have been in the upper 50s overnight with low dew points, requiring a sweatshirt or light jacket. For this fall/winter gal, this is great news indeed.

What are you enjoying this week?