Looking back and forward, recess riches, 10 Commandments costs, and more: Required Readings, 01.01.16

Happy new year and welcome 2016! Today we’ll look back at some of the biggest education and skepticism stories of the past year, ponder what 2016 may bring, and check out what’s been happening while many of us have been on winter holidays.

One thought-provoking essay earlier in the year asked whether the current emphasis on STEM learning may not be the fabulous move forward many consider it to be.

Reading lists: NPR’s 6 education stories to watch in 2016, the top 10 education columns from the Washington Post, and the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s top reads of 2015.

A school where students in kindergarten and 1st grade get recess 4 times a day.

Israeli educators and administrators are debating the inclusion of a Jewish-Arab love story in high school literature classes. Also, how textbooks there address history, and sample math problems from the Islamic State’s ministry of education.

A PA school district spent $64K in legal fees to fight to keep a Ten Commandments monument on school grounds.

British schools should teach that theirs is a Christian country, per the education secretary.

Not a real surprise to anyone here, but according to a former employee, “[the Discovery Institute] is religiously motivated in all they do” and “Critical thinking, critical analysis, teach the controversy, academic freedom—these are words that stand for legitimate pedagogical approaches and doctrines in the fields of public education and public education policy. That is why DI co-opts them.”

How restorative justice can be successfully translated to school settings.

In the wake of the murders at Umpqua Community College, an Oregon instructor tells politicians: “We don’t need your prayers. We need your courage.”

No matter where you are on planet Earth, we want to know what you’re reading about education. Send your Required Readings to SoD via our contact form.