About Dr. Jim Taylor

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So far Dr. Jim Taylor has created 1435 blog entries.
28 05, 2014

Taylor Quoted in Article about Children’s Use of Technology

By | May 28th, 2014|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I was recently quoted in a newspaper article about the role of technology in children's lives. I was in the minority opinion based on those the writer interviewed. What do you think? Whose side are you on (hopefully, your children's)?

27 05, 2014

My Kids Don’t Fear Me (But is That a Good Thing?)

By | May 27th, 2014|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

I have two daughters, ages 8 and 6. Overall, they’re pretty good kids, generally kind and mostly cooperative. But like most children their ages, they are often stubborn, frequently resistant, and occasionally disrespectful of my wife and me. I may ask them to put their shoes on so they can leave for school in the [...]

21 05, 2014

Are Opportunity Costs Children’s Real Problem with Technology?

By | May 21st, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |7 Comments

There are a lot of “techno-evangelists” out there spreading the gospel of technology as the cure for all of our ills. For this group, technology can do no wrong. At the same time, there are plenty of Chicken Littles running around saying that our cultural, social, and educational sky is falling. For this group, technology is the ill that needs to be cured. I place myself firmly in the middle of these two camps. Think of me as the Paul Revere of the 21st century—“The techies are coming!” I believe that technology is inherently neither good nor bad. But neutral does not mean it is benign. As with most things in life, technology is healthy or harmful depending on how it is used. One challenge for us is technology enters our lives before we can know what effect it will actually have on us. The speed at which technology is becoming deeply woven into the very fabric of our lives is breathtaking; as if we’re holding onto the railing of a caboose of a runaway train. Innovations are launched and become a part of our culture so quickly that there isn’t time to step back and consider the implications of new technology on us. It is only in the rearview mirror that we can see whether a technological advancement has been beneficial or damaging. And by then it’s too late to go back; the new technology is already irreversibly embedded in our individual and societal psyches.

18 05, 2014

New York Times Publishes Taylor Letter to the Editor

By | May 18th, 2014|Categories: Education|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Last Friday, May 16th, the New York Times published my letter to the editor in response to a recent article about the introduction of computer programming into classrooms of students as young as second grade in Mill Valley California (my home town). Said one mother of a second grader when asked why she signed him [...]

13 05, 2014

Final Words to a Team in Pursuit of a National Championship

By | May 13th, 2014|Categories: Sports|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I have been working for the past year with a collegiate team with realistic aspirations of winning an NCAA championship. They have been an amazing group of athletes who struggled through challenges, stayed committed to their goals, and came together as a team. It has been a privilege to be a part of the team. [...]

12 05, 2014

Encore of Mental Training Starts in the Gym

By | May 12th, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Here's an encore representation of one of my favorite ski racing posts. You can begin to develop your mental skills in the gym.

7 05, 2014

26 Photos Show How Technology Has Changed Our Lives

By | May 7th, 2014|Categories: Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This series of 26 photos vividly captures how technology has changed how we interact with others and our world. THEN: Girls catch sight of The Beatles, 1964 NOW: Girls catch sight of One Direction, 2013  

6 05, 2014

Are Parents Ruining Youth Sports?

By | May 6th, 2014|Categories: Sports|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

A great article about the role of parents in youth sports these days. This article is an indictment on what I call 'the professionalization of youth sports.' It should compel every parent whose children play organized sports to pause, look in the mirror, and ask some tough questions about why their children play and how invested they [...]

5 05, 2014

Standardized Testing Gets a Laugh (from Louis C.K.)

By | May 5th, 2014|Categories: Education|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Here's a very funny take on standardized testing from the comedian Louis C.K. (first 2:30 mins.). As with most humor, there is more than a grain of truth to it.