As I read some of the responses to the blog, I have more and more sympathy for your viewpoint. The idea of a disguised punishment—the “thinking chair” with Teddy Bear—reminds me of many similar ideas coming from people I admire and respect (like Responsive Classrooms).

And as I read the comment from “jyatvin” on natural consequences, I think to myself: If they are natural, than we don’t have to intervene as teachers at all—except to prevent consequences that are disproportionate or dangerous!

But then I realize how mad I am at the bankers and hedge-funders who haven’t been punished—naturally or unnaturally. (See th

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Theres an interesting guest post today on the TED blog about efforts to use human-centered design to reduce mortality rates in the southeast African country of Malawi.

The effort is being driven by Malawi President Joyce Banda. A key part of the proposal is to construct 150 “maternal waiting homes” near clinics where rural women can stay as their due date approaches. By providing housing to expectant moms, Banda and health officials hope more women will give birth at facilities staffed with health providers and equipped to handle complications, instead of in their homes with less-experienced birth attendants. Cou

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The final flag has been tossed for the New York Giants and the University at Albany. On Friday Jan. 4, the National Football League announced they will not return to UAlbany for training camp for the Summer of 2013.

Instead, the Giants will conduct their summer training sessions in the Timex Performance Center, the Giants year-round headquarters next to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The facility will be able to accommodate the Giants regardless of inclement weather, no practices will be lost.

The four-time Super Bowl winning Giants have held their summer training sessions at the UAlbany for 16 of the past 17 summers, since 1996.

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A recent study conducted at Tel Aviv University has demonstrated a clear link between racism and a general lack of creativity. As it turns out, people who possess racial essentialist beliefs are more prone to creative blockage.

“The message we’re sending is…not here, not now, we’re prepared for you. And if you seek to harm our children, we will neutralize that threat and you will most likely be killed.”

That’s what Fontana, California Police Chief Rodney Jones had to say about School Resource Officers under his command being issued AR-15 assault rifles.

Jones told the Los Angeles Times that it’s “unfortunate” that the school district had to resort to drastic measures, but added that “it’s the best message we can send to anybody that thinks to harm our children.”

The officers were armed recently with the new semiautomatic rifles…drawing sharp criticism and sparking an effort to ban such weapons on school campuses.

The military-style rifles, which cost about $1,000 each, will be kept in safes when officers are on campus and will be used only in “extreme emergency cases” according to school Supt. Cali Olsen-Binks.

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Guest blogger Alfie Kohn joins Bridging Differences today. He will blog with Deborah Meier for the next month.

Dear Deb,

Thanks for inviting me to join you on this forum so we can be overheard by people other than a waiter when we affectionately poke each other. Of course you’re right that we agree on the big issues—those that all educators most urgently need to be discussing. But perhaps we can stimulate some thought by exploring a few questions on which we see things a little differently.

Whenever it appears that I disagree with someone, I like to begin by figuring out where we’ve parted company. I

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