Head of School
Recommended Reading
By Trudy E. Hall, Head of School| Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, by Clayton M. Christensen, Michael B. Horn, and Curtis W. Johnson—The authors provide a compelling and intentionally provocative summary of how education might be transformed by the opportunities provided by technology to deliver individualized education versus the current “factory-like” structure of our school system. They propose an intriguing vision of student-centric learning, which, they claim, could be on line as soon as 2014—the year of Emma Willard’s bicentennial. Interesting to contemplate, intellectually stimulating to imagine. | |
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Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin—There are few books that will stay with you like this one does. Not only does it tell the tale of a great adventure, but it reminds us all that our actions, day by day, can make grand things happen. So many of us have forgotten how transformational education can be for those who have never experienced a classroom. Imagine with Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute what the world might be like if education was a right and an expectation in every country and for every child—male or female. This book will make you want to get involved; it will make you want to make a difference with your life. |
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The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander—A read that will change the way you imagine your life. The authors urge you to examine the lens through which you view your experiences. The added treat is that they urge you to do so with creativity, humor and memorable stories that ensure the lessons of the book are well-learned and easily remembered. |
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| A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink—Pink postulates that globalization, material abundance, and technological advancements are driving us beyond the Information Age into what he terms “the Conceptual Age.” His theory is that the Conceptual Age will require workers with different skill sets: workers who are creative thinkers, who understand design concepts, who are big-picture thinkers, who are empathic listeners, who have emotional intelligence, and who intentionally pursue the meaning of life. Mind you, he is not suggesting that analytical skills, which our culture currently prizes, will not also be honored. Instead he is suggesting that successful individuals must be able to synthesize both their analytical and their conceptual skill sets to new ends.
Pink uses left-brain/right-brain theory to explain an important shift in modern economies. (Simplistically, the left hemisphere is better known as the center for analytical thinking, while the right hemisphere drives our creative impulses.) He makes the case that in an outsourced and automated world, our society will flourish only if we are successful in producing “a society of creators and empathizers, of pattern recognizers and meaning makers.” His bottom line: “We have moved from an economy built on people’s backs to an economy built on people’s left brains to what is emerging today—an economy and society built more and more on people’s right brains.” Wow. A big idea. |
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| Binge: What Your College Student Won’t Tell You, Barrett Seaman—A former journalist, Seaman researched 13 college campuses, intent on providing an insider’s look at life outside the classroom, and reports a number of disconnects in the social culture of our nation’s finest colleges and universities. Among them: disturbing trends in drug and alcohol use, and sexual behaviors and excesses; unexamined insensitivity around issues of diversity; a growing aloofness from professors who feel the tension between research and teaching; and, of course, the impact of the new economics of athletic programs. It strikes me—and reports from college students I know tell me this is accurate—that it is vital for teenagers to own the necessary social survival skills to get through the college experience so they can thrive as intellectual innovators. This engaging revelation about the current social scene on college campuses should be a clarion call for action on the part of parents and educators alike to provide those skills to our college-bound students. | |
| College Unranked, Lloyd Thacker—A former college counselor and founder of The Education Conservancy, Lloyd Thacker has gathered the voices of admissions deans, college presidents, and college counselors into a must-have collection that every parent and high school junior should peruse. In sum, these wise minds remind us that the search for the right college always has been and always should be about getting an education—despite what the marketers want you to believe. | |
| How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation, Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey—An easily accessible book that opens up new ways of thinking about language, whether in conversations with others or with yourself. The authors ask you to dive in, directly involving yourself in thought-provoking exercises, as you come to understand how the way in which you use language could become the most powerful tool in your communications arsenal. | |
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| Why Gender Matters, Leonard Sax—Research continues to affirm that there are indeed gender differences. Dr. Sax attempts to lead parents and educators through the maze of the latest research findings to gain a better understanding of how the awareness of gender difference can inform learning, discipline, risk taking behavior and a host of other developmental issues. | |
| The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids, Barbara Strauch—An interesting mix of scientific language and straight talk that will help parents understand just how teenagers tick. It is useful to know just what causes those mood swings and risk taking behaviors we have come to associate with adolescence. | |
| How Good People Make Tough Choices, Rushworth M. Kidder. A widely known speaker and seminar leader, Kidder looks at ethical dilemmas in the home, school, and workplace. | |
| Where Girls Come First: The Rise, Fall and Surprising Revival of Girls Schools. Ilana DeBare has authored a must read book about girls schools entitled Emma Willard and her alums appear throughout this engaging read. A first-rate story teller and a careful historian, DeBare has captured the essence of the single sex experience and enables us all to understand why Emma Willard always was and always will be a school that is just for girls. | |
| With Love and Prayers: A Headmaster Speaks to the Next Generation—F. Washington Jarvis, former headmaster, Roxbury Latin School, Boston. "This volume is a collection of his school addresses given at the beginning of each school term. You will find wisdom, comfort, humor, and joy." | |
| The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children—Wendy Mogel. “This book offers up wisdom on child rearing in a manner that demands our attention. Mogel talks about the dangers of overprotecting children and prods us to remember that ‘it is our job to raise our children to leave us.’” | |
