If the Harvard admissions trial teaches us anything, it should be that there are more brilliant and accomplished young people in the United States eager for a top-notch education than there are seats to accommodate them. Places like Harvard and other elite colleges select students from a pool flush with well-qualified applicants who could handle the coursework, […] … learn more→
Why elite colleges should use a lottery to admit students
Black Women’s College to lose accreditation
Accreditation is mostly a slam dunk, and once you have it, the student loan scam provides such an abundance of funds that you generally keep it. That said, a school can lose accreditation. It’s rare, mind you, but I can’t help but notice a school can’t lose accreditation due to lack of academic integrity (hi […] … learn more→
New Year – seeing anew
You’ve heard of Lego your research method and Dance Your PhD. But now Bake Your Thesis is getting to be a thing. There’s a hashtag #bakeyourphd and active competitions in New Zealand, Canada and the UK. One of the Canadian thesis baking competition represents their research on immigrant communities through a cinnamon bun – a complicated and lengthy […] … learn more→
Five survival strategies for spouses and partners of international students
It’s a new year and everyone with a project is busy again. But what about when you have your own hopes and goals, yet find yourself in an unfamiliar country supporting a spouse or partner who is an international student? Over the past two decades, Canada has experienced massive growth in the numbers of international […] … learn more→
Adolescence can be awkward. Here’s how parents can help their child make and maintain good friendships
Secondary school can be a lonely place for adolescents who don’t have a best friend or a group of trusted friends. Young people will be more skilled in the art of making genuine friends (and keeping them) if they know how to be assertive, are optimistic about life, have some basic social skills and have […] … learn more→
Columbia: Let students grade themselves. It’s inclusive!
“Drink Brawndo. It Has Electrolytes!” –from the movie Idiocracy, which presents an alarmingly credible look into our future. The word “inclusive” is used much like electrolytes in the movie, without considering if there’s any evidence having such things is always a good idea. Hey, remember last post where the Progressives had decided students can’t be […] … learn more→
Schools fall short when it comes to helping students in grief – here’s how they can improve
An adolescent experiences the death of his mother after a lengthy illness. When I ask what services he would like to receive from the school, he initially says he didn’t expect special treatment, would be embarrassed by counseling from the school mental health staff and wouldn’t feel comfortable if many of his teachers asked to […] … learn more→
In search of an authentic and fun education
In a talk given by Guy Brousseau at the Public University of Navarra several years ago, he said that one of the most important challenges of compulsory education was having to teach people who may not want to learn and who are also obliged to do so. The background of the question of this reflection greatly conditions […] … learn more→
Six ways to support new teachers to stay in the profession
Teaching is hard. Staying in the teaching profession can sometimes be even harder. There’s a lack of national data about attrition, but the Queensland College of Teachers estimates anywhere between 8-50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. High workloads, perceived lack of support, work-life balance and the absence of recognition appear to impact new teachers’ decisions […] … learn more→
Acting out: theatre class where students rehearse for change
The auditorium buzzes with anticipation. It is opening night for a group of students from the Theatre for Social Change course offered at University of Waterloo. Students are about to present the culmination of their work from the fall term. As the lights dim, the students’ fear and apprehension is palpable. Acting and performance are […] … learn more→