When I taught at a community college or questionable state university, one of the things which surprised me was how many of my students did not want to be there. I don’t mean simply didn’t want to do homework, or study, or take tests…but even being on campus was a chore for them, something that […] … learn more→

Finally, the message came. Friends had warned you but you couldn’t help feeling disappointed when the request finally arrived. The dean of your school has asked you (and everyone else) to apply for external funding in the next few months. You have nowhere to hide – stress and sleepless nights loom ahead. Maybe if you […] … learn more→

Immortality has been a topic of discussion since the legend of the Holy Grail. Some people have gone as far as cryogenic freezing after death in the hope that one day science will have advanced enough to resurrect them. Others believe the route to immortality lies in the digital realm. The theory that humans can be digitised and […] … learn more→

Since an interview given at the end of 2014 by Maurice Lévy to the Financial Times , the expression “uberiser” is flourishing. The question was even invited in the debates of the last presidential election, that is to say. According to Wikipedia , this term, taken from the name of the Californian company of passenger vehicles with drivers, Uber, refers to “A recent […] … learn more→

Last summer, a friend gave me a copy of The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber, professors of English language and literature respectively at Queen’s University and Brock University. It gave me lots of food for thought. Working at a university, after several years of […] … learn more→

I’ve written several times of how GPA is essentially meaningless now in higher ed. What used to be solid F grade when I started teaching in higher ed is a solid C now, if not better. As much as I’d like to see every student get an A, I realize awarding grades like that is […] … learn more→

Tuition prices around the country rise every year. The average cost of tuition and fees during the 2018-2019 school year was $9,716/year for a public, in-state school and $35,676/year for a private institution—and that’s not including housing or living costs. It can be a daunting task to think about saving money while shelling out so […] … learn more→

It is often pointed out that textbooks add to the students’ binders. They also weigh on budgets and are not easy to renew when school curriculum changes accelerate – evidenced by the debates in the regions about the purchase of future books for high school , in tune with the reform of the baccalaureate. . However, beyond these […] … learn more→

Teaching connected-style handwriting, otherwise known as cursive handwriting, has fallen out of fashion on many school curricula. Older generations have sometimes been shocked that some younger people today can’t sign their names on official documents or even read a handwritten note. Canadian provinces have seen a decline in teaching and learning cursive. In Ontario schools, for example, teachers […] … learn more→

From as early as Grade 3 teachers start teaching children how to put across their own points of view. It’s not about winning arguments, but ensuring kids grow up to be thoughtful and engaged citizens. These skills might come in to play at school in essay writing, in oral presentations or in debates. And whether we’re […] … learn more→