Great to see this about one of our DMin students, Kristen Marble<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.\u2014 Many people have heard about Little Free Libraries, the bird house-like cabinets popping up across the country asking people to take, borrow or donate books. But have people heard of Little Free Pantries?<\/p>\n A Little Free Pantry is typically a wooden cabinet with unlocked doors, only a few feet in diameter, and stocked with non-perishable food items, toiletries and other donations.<\/p>\n They pop up in front of churches, in neighborhoods and even in people\u2019s driveways. Creators say they\u2019re designed to meet the last-minute needs of others, and oftentimes fall within food deserts where access to grocery stores and public transportation is limited.<\/p>\n West Morris Street Free Methodist Church on the southwest side of Indianapolis, installed one such \u201cLittle Free Pantry\u201d this month, with plans to install a second in the near future.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some real, significant needs in this neighborhood,\u201d said Kristen Marble, Senior Pastor at West Morris Street Free Methodist Church, \u201cso in some small way we can make a difference in that, then that\u2019s what we want to be about.\u201d<\/p>\n Marble launched a Little Free Pantry at Mars Hill Free Methodist Church, where she previously served as pastor, the response there from the congregation and the surrounding community was immediate.<\/p>\n \u201cMuch to my surprise, great surprise, probably within several weeks the neighborhood itself kind of adopted the pantry and made sure it was full,\u201d Marble said people would pick up extra groceries just to stock the pantry which would see 20-30 guests a day.<\/p>\n The West Morris Free Methodist\u2019s Little Free Pantry sits right out front of the church\u2019s entrance. After announcing its installation, Marble said her office was stocked with nonperishable items from her congregation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Computers in the classroom<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n Laptop computers have become commonplace in K\u201312 and college classrooms. With that, educators now face a critical decision. Should they embrace computers and put technology at the center of their instruction? Should they allow students to decide for themselves whether to use computers during class? Or should they ban screens altogether and embrace an unplugged approach?<\/p>\n The right way forward is unclear, especially at colleges that pride themselves on connectivity. The vast majority of students carry laptops or tablets from class to class to take notes, consult references, collaborate with professors and classmates\u2014and to update social-media sites, order takeout, and watch YouTube videos during lectures. The personal computer is a powerful tool. It can efficiently store and enhance student work; it can also effectively transport a student\u2019s attention away from that work.<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, some professors have banned computers from class. But research shows many remain conflicted about their value: in a 2014 survey by Richard Patterson\u00a0 and Robert Patterson of 90 professors at a liberal-arts school, 57 percent agreed that laptops enhanced learning, but 42 percent thought laptops decreased participation. Two-thirds of professors in a slightly larger survey from the same school had laptop-optional policies, and one in five required them for class.<\/p>\n Although students overwhelmingly like to use their devices, a growing research base finds little evidence of positive effects and plenty of indications of potential harm. To determine the impact of laptop usage on student performance, we conducted a randomized controlled trial among undergraduate students at the United States Military Academy, widely known by the name of its location in West Point, New York. In the study, we designated who was allowed to use and who was prohibited from using laptops or tablets to take notes in class.<\/p>\n We find that allowing any computer usage in the classroom\u2014even with strict limitations\u2014reduces students\u2019 average final-exam performance by roughly one-fifth of a standard deviation. This effect is as large as the average difference in exam scores for two students whose cumulative GPAs at the start of the semester differ by 0.17 grade points on a standard 0\u20134.0 scale. Importantly, these results are from a highly competitive institution where student grades directly influence employment opportunities at graduation\u2014in other words, a school where the incentives to pay attention in class are especially high.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n We believe our findings raise important questions for colleges and college students about the impact of using Internet-enabled devices during class and may have implications for K\u201312 educators as well. [HT: JS]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Germany\u2019s recent vote: Angela Merkel won, but<\/strong><\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n Damaged by her decision two years ago to allow one million migrants into Germany, Merkel\u2019s conservative bloc secured 33 percent of the vote, losing 8.5 points \u2014 its lowest level since 1949. Her coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats, also slumped and said they would go into opposition.<\/p>\n Voters flocked to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the first far-right party to enter the German parliament in more than half a century. However, the AfD hardly had time to savor its third-place showing before it fell into internal bickering.<\/p>\n Many Germans see the rise of the AfD as a similar rejection of the status quo as votes for Brexit and Donald Trump last year. But Germany\u2019s political center held up better than in Britain and the United States as more voters have benefited from globalisation and most shun the country\u2019s extremist past.<\/p>\n Merkel\u2019s party remained the biggest parliamentary bloc and Europe\u2019s most powerful leader said her conservatives would set about building the next government. She said she was sure a coalition would be agreed by Christmas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Devorah Heitner:<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>6 Truths about Parenting Tweens<\/b><\/p>\n 1) They want you to think well of them. They want to know that you respect them and like them and are hurt if you think poorly of them. Even if they seem to be trying to provoke a low opinion of themselves. Use this to your advantage! Be careful about what you say about them on social media or out loud when you think they can\u2019t hear you. You may need to vent about their behavior, but be really careful about doing it in ways that won\u2019t get back to them. By this age, it is crucial to\u00a0always ask permission<\/a>\u00a0before you share pictures of them, or updates about them on social media. This is a great way to build trust, honor their privacy and teach them healthy boundaries about posting on social media.<\/p>\n 2) It is very typical for kids to sometimes complain about you. So if you read their texts\u2026you may see some moaning and groaning. Be careful about not overreacting to this! This is one of the many hazards of digitally\u00a0spying on kids<\/a>, especially without their knowledge. Think carefully about your motivations.<\/p>\n 3) On the other hand, by this age, many kids know enough about their friends\u2019 families to appreciate their own. They talk about their parents with one another. Your kid may talk about how she envies some of her friends\u2019 families, but she also probably knows enough about some of her peer\u2019s families to be grateful she has you. The families that seem to have few or no rules for their kids\u2019 behavior may seem less appealing to your child as she gets to know them.\u00a0Differing rules about social media,\u00a0<\/a>curfews or other boundaries will provoke some important conversations with your tween.<\/p>\n 4) They want their friends to really know and understand them, but they don\u2019t always totally understand themselves. Friendship is really tough at this age. Many kids go through relationship turmoil. Small problems can become big problems, and texting can turn up the dial on misunderstandings. It is easy to focus on feeling left out and\u00a0social media can make it painfully visible<\/a>\u00a0and public.\u00a0\u00a0It is one thing to learn about something you missed after the fact; it is even more painful to watch photos posted in real time by kids who are at a party or get-together that is taking place without you.<\/p>\n 5) Sometimes tweens wish they were still little kids\u2013even though they are all about talking about how they don\u2019t want to be treated like a little kid. And they don\u2019t! Except when they do. Don\u2019t remark on this, just accept those times they want to be close. This is a time in your kid\u2019s life to accept that you may be their \u2018B\u2019 plan if they don\u2019t get invited to something cooler. If you can embrace being the fallback plan without complaint, you might end up having a really fun afternoon or evening with a great kid that you know and love.<\/p>\n 6) They need reasonable and consistent limits. \u00a0Your presence gives them an excuse to say no to stuff that freaks them out. For example: Stop sending me those pictures. My dad looks at my phone and I\u2019ll be in BIG trouble. Your child will push back. That is his job. Your job is to stay consistent, and to look ahead to greater independence and different limits. Small areas of independence may be very important to your tween, so finding the places where you can give them space to increase independence and self-reliance is also important. You don\u2019t have to read all of your child\u2019s texts for him to use you as a guardrail with peers to set a boundary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You probably didn\u2019t see The Publishers Weekly<\/em>, and I wouldn\u2019t had not my editor at WaterBrook, Andrew Stoddard, pointed it out to me \u2014 good for The Heaven Promise<\/em><\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n