Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

Responding to the release of a new study earlier this month that shows adult Americans rank below average in math, technology, and literacy skills as compared to 24 other developed countries, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told NBC's Matt Lauer that the findings "confirm what so many of us already believe, that we have a real state of crisis." In Florida, a group of parents are proceeding with a lawsuit against the state for neglecting its responsibility to offer an "efficient, safe, secure and uniform high-quality" education to their children. In a recent article in The Atlantic exploring why a whopping 40-50 percent of all teachers choose to quit the profession within their first five years in the classroom, the reasons cited range from a lack of respect and professional support, to being underpaid, overworked, and generally burnt out.

In one of my favorite Stephen King interviews, for The Atlantic, he talks at length about the vital importance of a good opening line. “There are all sorts of theories,” he says, “it’s a tricky thing.” “But there’s one thing” he’s sure about: “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story.