Required Readings, 3 September 2013
Happy Tuesday, my fellow skeptics and educators! Here are the morning’s Required Readings: -New Jersey first bans a license plate that says “Atheist,” and then later gives its approval. -The Massachusetts Supreme Court on Wednesday will decide whether or not the compulsory recitation of the Pledge is in violation of …
Et tu, Radiolab?
It’s time for my morning jog and I spend a few minutes looking over my list of podcasts to choose my educational listenings for the next hour or so. Scrolling through my podcasts I find my trusted running companion, Radiolab. A new episode. Thanks, loyal friend. If you are not …
Are you there God? It’s me, Incredulity.
Many times throughout the school year, our entire staff gather for prayer. We gather for prayer at the beginning of the year to ask God for a safe and healthy school year. We gather each morning to ask God to watch over us during the day, and keep us from …
New Mississippi Law Allows for Religious Content in Class Assignments
A new law went into effect on Monday in Mississippi that would allow religion to enter public schools without fear of reprisal. This law is known as the “Mississippi Student Religious Liberties Act of 2013,” and it is effective beginning with the 2013-2014 school year. While it backs up a …
Dawkins the Performance Artist?
Sometimes, when faced with seeming absurdity, there turns out to be a lot more than meets the eye. Many of you are probably familiar with the video below, which has been making the rounds in the skeptical blogosphere and was snarkily summarized by Will on Skepchick. If you have not …
Pop Quiz: Rational reading?
Because clearly the best time to get involved with something fun and distracting is when you are racing to finish a conference paper on a very tight deadline, today I finally got around to starting Eliezer Yudkowsky’s “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality.” I remember first hearing about it …
Required Readings, 30 May 2013
Good morning, teachers and learners! Have you started your summer sessions yet? Are you taking a break from school for the summer? Even if you are, don’t take a break from learning and reading. In Deals With 10 Public Universities, Coursera Bids for Role in Credit Courses – The MOOC …
Lesson Plan Review: The Skeptic Society’s Skepticism 101 In-Class Exercises
I’m a nuts-and-bolts skeptic, which influences the kind of skeptical lessons I bring into my classrooms. I’m always looking for new ideas and other ways of presenting skepticism and critical thinking to students. I’ve been meaning to start reviewing skeptical curricular materials here at the School of Doubt, so why …
Saul and the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Once, I had a freshman in one of my English classes. The kid was big, and kind of awkward, with dark curly hair and glasses. Socially, the other kids tolerated him, but he wasn’t popular or anything. He would yell out comments on a daily basis and would often ramble …
Pop Quiz: How useful are tests, anyway?
As some of you may or may not be aware, most PhD students outside the discipline of Education are never required to take any classes in paedagogy in order to “learn” how to teach at the university level, or indeed at any other. Rather, it’s kind of magically expected that …