I found out early on that academic work required finding ways to deal with a load of information. My undergraduate honours class, taken in addition to regular courses, required novice scholars to read three to four primary sources and then five or six papers each week. Whew. We all had to find ways to read […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Keeping up with the literatures – preliminary sorting is key
My bullying boss ground me into depression – and I won’t be the last
It took me quite a while to realise that I was being bullied. Bullying in academia doesn’t look like bullying at school: I wasn’t pushed up against a wall or excluded from playtime games. But I have been shouted at in meetings. I have been sent breathtakingly critical emails, filled with ill-informed assumptions and irrational, […] … learn more→
Student Government: We shouldn’t have to provide a Dr.’s note
I always had conflicting thoughts about how I deal with my students. On the one hand, they’re adults…I don’t like forcing adults to do things like handing in homework. On the other, I know the best way to learn a skill is to practice the skill, and homework forces them to do the requisite practice…but […] … learn more→
Large-scale education tests often come with side effects
When results come out for big education tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which primarily measures 15-year-old students’ knowledge and skills in reading, mathematics and science, the focus is often on which countries scored the highest. The education systems of countries that do well on this test are often portrayed as models for the […] … learn more→
Keep on stepping up to the plate
Like writing a dissertation, baseball is about failure. My favourite player growing up, Ken Griffey Jr., seemed never to fail. When he stepped to the plate, you knewsomething special was about to happen. His stroke, a combination of elegance and power, sent 630 balls soaring over homerun fences: sixth most in MLB history. Gazelle-like, he turned […] … learn more→
Female Colleges in 21st century – all Possible pros and cons
The female-only colleges have a long history in the US education system. Dating back to the teaching seminaries of the 19th century, institutions such as Wellesley and Vassar have played their part. Attending those encouraged women to make their dreams come true in an era when it was considered almost impossible. The US currently hosts […] … learn more→
10,000 word article on student debt cancellation misses the best reason: fraud
I’ve been hearing people seriously talk about cancelling student loan debt for at least a decade, probably more. Granted, almost everyone who’s for it has student debt, and most everyone against it doesn’t have student debt, so I appreciate conflict of interest here…but this is ad hominem, there are valid reasons both for and against […] … learn more→
Capitalist creep on campus: the largest, quietest privatisation in UK history – it’s why we’re striking
For the next week and a half, many UK university lecturers will be on strike again, but who outside of academia really cares? After all, university academics have great jobs. Indeed, every June to September, I get asked whether I am now on holiday. So who’s bothered whether I go on strike? Most people think I already […] … learn more→
Increasing tuition fees at the university: another conception of the public service?
The precarious situation of many students is very often analyzed in light of their resources . But reading their expenses is equally instructive. First and foremost is the rise in tuition fees. An evolution too often advanced as technical and accounting, when it is actually fundamentally political … Increasing tuition fees at the university, often presented as “politically and socially sensitive , “ is […] … learn more→
Don’t despair if your teen wants to major in history instead of science
It might be your worst nightmare. Your child, sitting at the kitchen table, slides you a brochure from the local university. “I’ve been thinking of majoring in history.” Before you panic and begin calling the nearest computer science department, or worse, begin to crack those tired barista jokes, hear me out. This might just be […] … learn more→
