Critical Thinking

“Hey dad, you know that racist online empire you’ve devoted so much time to building? I think I broke it. Oh and you know that group of guys you really love, the ones who made you a grand wizard or whatever? I think I might’ve broken them too.”   Derek …

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 …

Because George Orwell is apparently required reading for members of the Conservative party in the UK, a government-commissioned review today made the suggestion that all packed lunches should be banned in English schools. Parents don’t know how to feed their own children, you see. The argument is that schools should …

I guess I had better start with a disclaimer, though the necessity annoys me: I like America. I mostly like being an American. There are some areas in which we could use an upgrade, no question, but overall I feel fortunate to have been born and raised here. /disclaimer Now …

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 …

“If you suck on a tit the movie gets an R rating. If you hack the tit off with an axe it will be PG.” This quote is commonly attributed to Jack Nicholson all over the internet, yet I had trouble verifying its authenticity. Either way, it seemed quite apropos …

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 …

As I mentioned in Monday’s Pop Quiz, I’ve lately been reading Eliezer Yudkowsky‘s epic fanfic “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality,” in which the author depicts a very interesting pedagogical tool. Very, very minor plot spoilers follow. Stop now if you want to be a total blank slate. So, …

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 …

“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew …