Quick Look: The Difference Between Knowing Facts and How to Get Them

Another great topic of discussion by author Annie Murphy Paul, who makes the point that "just because you can Google the date of Black Thursday doesn’t mean you understand why the Great Depression happened or how it compares to our recent economic slump."

To follow up, this is why teachers can never be replaced by the smartest software or even the most reliable Web sites. Both teachers and parents are the crucial connective tissue who can help kids place information into important context.

Source: Time

Have you heard about the octopus who lives in a tree? In 2005, researchers at the University of Connecticut asked a group of seventh graders to read a website full of information about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, or Octopus paxarbolis. The Web page described the creature's mating rituals, preferred diet, and leafy habitat in precise detail.